


Stones and Glass Houses

by Slouchtonirvana



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Child Loss, Developing Relationship, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Pain, Past Domestic Violence, Past Relationship(s), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Smut, Suicide, Suicide Notes, but not really, cause im impatient, kinda slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:43:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 69,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26333581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slouchtonirvana/pseuds/Slouchtonirvana
Summary: Female SS, Nora, is devastated after losing everything. She destroyed the Institute and with that, her son. She drove the BoS out of the Commonwealth. And after helping him get the cure for his son, she pushes MacReady away, who had been her loyal partner and lover. Contemplating taking her own life, she hears a commercial on the radio for an amusement park she hadn't seen in over 200 years. What is the worse that can happen? She has a death wish, anyway.Nora learns about raider life, and maybe raiders aren't what she thought they were. Well, they kinda are, too.
Relationships: Porter Gage/Female Sole Survivor, Porter Gage/Sole Survivor
Comments: 43
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

Nora walked out of the Med-Tek building with Mac, stepping over the corpses. She thought this would make her feel better, feel something. Mac was happily babbling on about the cure in his pocket, and she barely listened to anything he said. Stepping out into the sunlight, she squinted at the bright light. 

Mac pulled her into a tight hug. “You have no idea what this means to me. I owe you everything,” he said, tears threatening to fall. 

Nora just stood there as he hugged her, her mind racing. She had destroyed the Institute, killed her own kid when she saw what a monster he had become. She blew up the Brotherhood mostly because she just did not like them. Time in this apocalyptic nightmare had left her feeling less and less altruistic. She didn’t care so much about others anymore, even though she helped a few useless settlers set up settlements for themselves. 

She had feelings for Mac, at one point. Destroying everything had started to leave her numb. When he opened up about his kid being sick and needing the cure, she immediately jumped on to help. Maybe it would help her to fix her own problems, saving a child when she couldn’t save her own. Maybe it would remind her that she loved Mac. And she did, she most certainly did. She felt a warmth in her as he cupped her face and pulled her in for a sweet kiss. 

He pulled back and said, “Well, all we have to do now is get this to Goodneighbor to Daisy, she can get it on a caravan to the Capitol.”

Nora cleared her throat, she knew what she had to do. She was falling apart, becoming a shell, and Mac deserved better than her. If I ditch him, he will go to the Capital and be with his son, that is what he needs to do. Not be around a worthless piece of shit like me. She grimaced when she thought about it, and pushed any conscience about hurting his feelings aside. 

“You better get on that, then,” she said, sticking her chin up and getting her pack ready to walk.

“What, aren’t you coming with me? We can get a room at the Rexford, take a break. Get some rest,” he asked. 

“Nah, I’m good. Best of luck, hope your kid gets better,” she said, turning on her heel. 

He grabbed her elbow. “What the f-heck is going on?” His eyes were searching her face. 

“Nothing. You get what you needed, some of what you wanted. Take care of yourself, MacReady,” she said and he grimaced at the full name, no nickname. 

His face softened and he pulled her to him. “What’s going on? You have barely spoken to me since the institute stuff. What is going on?” he gulped, “please, talk to me.”

“Nothing to talk about.” Nora did her best to look cool and indifferent, but she knew her face was deceiving her. She set her mind to put a wall up between them. 

“Sweetheart, please. Please don’t leave-,” Mac blinked back a tear, and swallowed hard, as if he couldn’t even speak it, “please don’t go.”

Nora tried to chuckle but it ended up coming out more shrill. “What did you think this was?”

“I thought, well, I thought we were together. Like you said, you and me against the world. You told me you loved me,” he said barely above a whisper. 

I need to finish this now before he talks me out of it. Her heart was shattering, and she knew he was, too but she needed to remain strong. She thought of the letter in her pack that she had written for him the night before as she thought of this plan. A letter explaining everything she felt. She didn’t want to go on living anymore, and it wasn’t fair to Mac to draw this on any longer. 

She set her shoulders. “Ha! Wow, that is pathetic. I really thought you knew better than this, MacReady. Come on, you wanted something from me, I wanted something from you. I helped you get rid of the gunners, and helped you get your kid better. You had my back and worked as an extra gun for me for a while, for free I might add.” Mac flinched and she continued, twisting the knife she just stabbed in his chest, “Not to mention, a pretty decent fuck. That was fun.”

Mac took a step towards her. “You know as well as I do that it was more than just fucking.”

Nora knew this meant business if he was cursing, and she held her ground. She just needed him to dislike her, hate her, and he would be fine. “Was it more than that to you? Aw, how cute. You’re sweet,” she patted his cheek with her hand. 

He reached out and grabbed her wrist. “Stop this. I know what you are doing. You can’t push me away.”

She laughed again. “I don’t need to push you away, because there is nothing here. Some rolls in a bedroll don’t change that.”

She expected him to let her go, to tell her to fuck off, anything except what he did do: he held her wrist tighter and pulled her to him, holding her neck and gently brushing his lips against hers. She almost responded, almost melted into his touch, apologizing for everything and telling him she did love him and please forgive her, that everything was too much and she lost everything she had and she didn’t know who she was as a person anymore. 

Instead she tilted her head. “Oh, wanna have one last fuck before I go? I’ll even suck your cock if you want.”

He let her go. “You are going to regret this, and come crawling back to me. You know where to find me, but I doubt I will forgive you.” 

Nora laughed again and turned and left, making a beeline for Goodneighbor. She wanted to get there before he did, so she didn’t see him again before she left. She thought about the letter she wrote last night:

Dear Mac,   
I am writing this because I have no idea how to tell you with my voice. I love you more than you would ever know. I shouldn’t even give you this letter, it would be easier if I could make you hate me, but I am sure you will see right through my facade and call me on it. I have lost everything, and I can’t go on anymore. I don’t know who i am as a person, as a woman, anymore. I am becoming more cold, more amoral, than I ever have been, and you deserve better. You deserve the sweet, altruistic woman I once was, not the shell of a human that destroys whole buildings and kills hundreds of people. I am sure that you are angry, and hurt, and fuck I hate that. So if I end up getting this letter to you, I think you should know what I am doing. I am going to find a beautiful hill, sleep under the stars, then as the sun rises I am going to take entirely too much med-x. I shouldn’t tell you this, but I don’t want you to continue to hope that I am coming back, before I am not. I love you more than you would ever know. Take care of Duncan, and hold him extra close. 

You are my sun, moon, and stars,  
Nora

She didn’t know if she wanted to make sure it got to him, but her letter had a good point. He would never have closure, always a part of him would hope she comes back. He deserved to move on. 

Nora made it to Goodneighbor rather quickly, and she saw no sign of Mac. Relieved, she made a beeline to Daisy. The ghoul brightened when she saw her. “Hello! Thanks so much for helping me with the library! What can I do for you?” 

“I need a few supplies and some med-x. Also, Mac should be by later, if I leave a letter with you can you make sure it gets to him? I know he will come see you,” Nora said, not looking up from the floor. 

Daisy smiled, “Of course, dear.” 

Nora held onto the note, and something told her to not give it to him. What if this finally sent him over the edge, losing two women he loved? He would blame himself, be angry he didn’t go after her, didn’t look for her. Maybe him holding onto his hope for a while would be better. “Second thought, I’ll just get a message to him later. No biggie.”

She sold Nora the stuff she needed, and Nora set out of the gates immediately. She knew the direction Mac would be coming from, so she set off on an opposite path, heading for the dangerous hills in the far distance.Her heart felt like it was weighted with lead and finally alone, she allowed herself to cry, sobbing breaths jerking her shoulders. 

After wandering for a long time and talking to herself the whole way, she found a lovely hill that looked out over the Commonwealth. She had never been out this way before, not this far south except for the Glowing Sea. The sun was setting and the sky was purple and orange. Sighing, she took a bottle of whiskey out of her pack, sitting on top of her bedroll, enjoying the view while she getting entirely hammered. She knew to her back was the giant crater where the Institute once was, and somewhere beyond that a skeleton that was once the Prydwen. 

She sighed, took a sip of her whiskey, then a gulp. Turning her PIP-boy on to some music, she hummed along as she drank. Once the bottle was gone and she was tired of the same few songs playing over and over, she began singing songs from a time past. From over 200 years ago, music these people had no idea existed. The music that lasted to this time was mostly oldies, she remembered country and pop music, all varied. She continued singing to herself, not caring what attention she brought. 

Staring forward, the sun had set and the sky was dark, thousands of stars visible. The stars were never this clear in the before. Light pollution drowned out the sky. Now, every night, she could see the milky Way. Then, some blinking lights caught her eye. She squinted, strained to look past the horizon. In the far, far, distance was a bright red light, flickering. A new radio station popped on her PIP-boy.

“Nuka World Radio, eh?” she flipped to it, and a recorded commercial came on to invite the person to the wonders of Nuka World, fun for the whole family!

Delirious, drunk, and absolutely entertained by finding out this place hadn’t been blown to hell and back, she decided to hold off on her plan for one more night. She would sleep, and in the morning at first light head to Nuka-World. Best case scenario, some raiders killed her. Worst case scenario, she got picked up by slavers but once the collar was on all she would have to do is run and her plan would be complete. 

She crawled into her sleeping bag, smiling. Finally something to look forward to. 

Nora woke up the next morning with what would be on her top three for worst hangovers. She chugged a can of water, threw it up, sipped another can, and took a dose of med-x. Not enough to be stoned but enough to take the edge off. The euphoria of the drug kicked in, and she started skipping along her merry way. 

She reached the Nuka World station by midday. There were some gunners gathering, they had been easy to dispatch. Nora noticed how much easier it was to fight when she didn’t give a shit if she lived or died. Maybe that is how people who live in this world do it. Upon getting inside the station where the monorail was, she saw a man on the ground, holding his side, crying for help. 

Reluctantly she approached him, and pushed him with the toe of her foot. “Hey, dude, you dying?”

He looked up at her and nodded his head. “Raiders, they got me but I was able to escape. They have my family. Please, help. My name is Harvey, I have a wife and two kids.”

Nora’s bullshit meter was finely tuned in this world. “Need a stimpack?”

He shook his head. When she insisted on jabbing it into him herself, he got up and shouted, “Alright! You got me! It’s all an act! I’m a slave, and they make me pull people in as a trap. If you go out there, you face certain death.”

Nora smiled. “Certain death, you say? You know how to sweet talk a girl.”

Harvey raised an eyebrow. “Wait, you are still going?”

Nora was already heading to the monorail. “Yeah, sounds like a party. And I am pretty sure if I don’t go, they will probably kill you, right?”

He nodded. 

“Hmm. I’m not a fan of being alive anymore but I don’t want to be the reason to kill anyone else. See you on the other side, Harvey.” She winced at the phrase that Mac always used, and pushed him out of her mind. 

She stepped into the train after turning the power on, and pushed the buttons to get it to go. Immediately it began it’s smooth ride into Nuka-World. 

Porter Gage was sitting in the small room by the arena when the alarms went off. Some member of the Disciples ran over, “Hey, we got a live one. She is on the train, now.”

Gage raised the brow on the eye covered by an eye patch. “She?”

They both went to the black and white computer monitor, watching her. He cursed under his breath. She was a tiny thing. 

The Raider turned to him. “Yeah, it’s weird. Harvey totally spilled the beans on what she is heading for and she still came. Like, she knows it is a death trap and just… well look at her.” 

They turned to the screen and watched her. She was sitting calmly, like this train could be going anywhere. There was an old recording that played over the monorail sound system that used to act as a tour guide, when it told her to look out the right side of the window to see “the largest man made building in the park!” she did, nodding her head appreciatively. 

“Well, you know the rules.” Porter said. “Crazy or not, gotta get this show on the road. Go get everyone, I’ll get Colter ready soon.”

The raider turned and ran off, and Porter pushed the monorail intercom button. He watched her physically jump when he spoke to her. “I see Harvey fucked up and you still decided to show, huh? Well, let’s see what you got in ya. He was right, you are headed for certain death. But, if you manage to live, I got a hell of a deal in store for you.” He watched her head tilt, thinking about his offer, then she flipped off the camera. 

He chuckled. He was gonna like this one. 

She made it through the gauntlet in record time. Gage was pleasantly surprised. He and the leaders from the three gangs watched her on the monitors nervously. He had to admit, she was a bit unsettling. She didn’t sneak, wasn’t careful. She just walked right up to the mines and grenades, disarming them. One was a dud and didn’t go off, so she kicked it for good measure. She was smart, too. She hacked the computers to disable the turrets. 

Mason next to him was looking over his shoulder at her on the screen. “She’s reckless.”

Gage shrugged. “She’s still alive. She’s smart. Smarter than any other boss we have had. Let’s see what happens in the arena.”

They all watched as she reached the end of the gauntlet, when their Overboss Colter came in, yelling about his power armor. Gage snapped at another raider, and Colter followed him into the arena to get hooked up. Gage could see her from the window in the locker room over the arena, feel her glare. Colter was doing his usual, running his mouth.

Gage pushed the intercom button for the locker room. “Alright, you ain’t got a lot of time, so hurry the fuck up and get over here.”  
She disappeared from view, and appeared in a camera as she walked up to the intercom. Gage could see her face perfectly. She was cute, he had to admit. Real cute. THe kind that would never look at him twice. She had a scar on her neck, and there were dark circles under her eyes. 

He pushed the button to speak. “Alright, this game is rigged, you feel me?” He watched her look out the window at Colter with the power armor. “It’s electrical, no one can beat him. You name it, people have tried it. But I stashed a secret weapon just for you that will help you defeat him. Over under that bench.”

She looked in the camera warily, and part of him wondered if she could actually see him. She disappeared, then reappeared again, looking irritated. “A fucking water gun?”

“Hydration is half the battle,” he quipped. 

“There is an asshole out there who wants to kill me, with electrical power armor and you give me a water…” He watched the realization dawn on her face. “Oh.”

“Yup, now you getting it. You use that, knocks out the power armor. You will have about 8 seconds before it comes back on again, and you will have to start over. But once he figures out what you are doing he will be pissed, and he will know I helped you so uh, no pressure but if you die we all die.”

He laughed when she rolled her eyes. His face softened, and he asked quietly, “You ready?”

She nodded. “As ready as I will ever be.”

Nora took a deep breath, and adjusted her armor and pack one last time. Once again, the fuckers were guilt tripping her so she couldn’t just fucking die. Then again, she was really curious about this deal that was promised. So, what to do? She could just step out there and let the dude shock her to death. She hesitated, standing at the doorway, hearing the crowd cheering and yelling, frenzied on the promise of death and destruction. 

Gage was holding his breath, especially when he saw her hesitate at the door. She didn’t look scared, just kinda bored? This chick should be fun, he was thinking to himself when she suddenly ran out, zapping him with the water pistol. The crowd got a little more silent and he waited with baited breath. Colter was in shock, this had never happened before. 

She didn’t shoot at him, nothing. She was quick, agile. Leaping like some kind of dancer, she ran up to Colter, pulled the fusion core out of his power armor, shoved a nuka-grenade in it where it. Then she ran, taking cover behind a bumper car just in time for the explosion. The nuka-grenade went off in Colter’s suit, radiating him for the few moments he still lived. He collapsed to the floor, and the arena was silent, and then raiders all over started screaming, banging on the walls. 

He watched her walk over to him, still with that bored look on her face. She tapped on the window with a knuckle, “Well? What’s this deal?”

The raider leaders behind him warned him he better know what he was doing as they walked out, leaving them with Nora. He opened the door and beckoned her into the room. “Look, I will give you more details but bottom line, that guy you just killed, he was the Overboss to these raiders. You killed him, you are the Overboss now.”

She looked at him like he had a hand coming out of his forehead, then started cackling. Gage continued on, “Meet me at Fizztop Mountain, the giant stupid looking building. The loft at the top is now your quarters. Uh, probably gonna need to be cleaned up, Colter had some, interesting taste.”

She shrugged and lit a cigarette from the pack in her hand, and Gage waved her out. “I’ll meet you over there, I will give you the full run down.”

She waved him off. 

Nora was doing her best to project an air of cool indifference, but she was already plotting her escape. No way she was going to play mother hen to a bunch of fucking raiders. She was thankful Gage let her have some time to walk by herself. She looked around at the old amusement park. She had gone there once before the bombs dropped with some friends. She saw the Fizztop Mountain building in the distance and started walking that direction. 

Her mind was racing, she was chain smoking. Raiders were all around her. They seemed to be wearing some kind of ridiculous costumes, but no one hassled her. Maybe she should just hear Gage out. Could be fun. 

She made it to Fizztop and took the lift up to the loft at the top. It lurched when she hit the button and she worried it would break immediately. She reached the top, and there he was. She allowed herself a good look at him, now. He was huge, all muscle on muscle. His arms were bigger than her legs. He had on crazy yellow armor that had rebar in it, like he scavenged the pieces at a construction site. He had a huge metal eyepatch covering one eye, and it covered almost half his face. He was scruffy and had a short mohawk. Nora smiled to herself, if he wasn’t a raider she would probably hit on him. Looked like the kinda guy that could hold her against a wall and fuck her.

She shook the thought out of her head, and crossed the room. He was standing at the bar that was in the middle, and she hopped on a stool. Looking around, she asked him, “Am i safe up here?”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Safe enough.”

“Good enough for me.” She took off her armor, letting it bang to the floor, pushing her boots off. She suddenly was self conscious. She was wearing a skimpy tank top that was barely more than a sport’s bra and jeans covered in blood. She had no idea why she packed this to wear, or at least something to wear with it. She just thought, fuck it let my stomach pudge and stretchmarks show. 

Gage didn’t seem to notice her. He went behind the bar and got a bottle with a couple of glasses. She gratefully took a glass, “Oh, fuck yeah. I could use some hair of the dog.”

He let out a short laugh. “You hungover? And you did that well? Fuck, I wanna see you at a hundred percent.”

She winked at him, “I bet you do,” and she smiled into her glass at the light blush on his cheeks. 

After a moment and finishing her drink, lighting another smoke and him doing the same, she stuck out her hand. “Nora.”

“Gage. Porter Gage.”

“Alright, Gage. Tell me what the fuck is going on, and it better be something amazing to keep me from splattering my own brains on the ceiling,” she said, tapping the glass on the bar for another drink. 

He didn’t say anything about the comments, just poured her another one. “Well, you see, you are Overboss now. This here is Nuka-World, and it is all ran by raiders. There are three Raider gangs here: The Disciples, The Pack, and The Operators. Your job is to make sure the fucking idiots don’t kill everything including themselves, and get the park operating again. You do that, and we can make a fuck ton of caps here.”  
This is turning into the craziest fucking day. “Tell me about the gangs. You do know, the only raiders I have experience with are the pieces of shit in the commonwealth who have tried to not only murder me but rape me several times.”

His face was still stone, but he said quietly,” I get it, Boss. Those raiders out there, they are idiots. Mostly junkies. Yeah, we got some of those here too, but these gangs are well organized, well led. They have their shitty ethics and codes of conduct but honestly, Boss, raiders just want to take what they want. Not every raider is a rapist, that act is actually pretty frowned upon here. Two of the gangs have women as leaders.” She nodded, and he continued. 

“The Disciples are a pretty sick bunch, led by Nisha. They wear these stupid metal masks. I don’t trust anyone that doesn’t let you see their face. They are into knives, killing and torture for fun. The Pack are, as the name describes, really into the whole animal pack thing. Their Alpha is Mason. They are decent enough and he runs them really well, he is well respected. Then the Operators, ran by Mags and William, brother and sister. They are just into caps, if you bring caps in they will respect you.” 

She stared down at the bar as she listened, expecting him to go on but for a minute, he didn’t. He finally cleared his throat. “And I am your right hand man. I’m not into leading, don’t like the target being on my back but if I can get that target on someone else and have their ear, then I am fine with it.”

Nora looked up at him, “How do I know you won’t betray me like you did him?”

He sighed, “You don’t. Look, Colter was a real shit overboss. Been here a year and ain’t nothing been done. You keep this place from imploding and help clear shit out so the raiders get their territories, get traders and caravans coming in here bringing caps, you will do a hundred times better than he did.”

Her head began to swim. It was all too much. The past twenty four hours were leaving a huge mark on her. Suddenly she stood up, and her legs buckled out from under her. Gage leaned and caught her arm on time. “You okay, Boss?”

She let herself lean on him for one moment, then straightened herself out. “Yeah, long day.” She couldn’t be seen as weak, she would need to maintain an air of power and control at all times. This was going to be exhausting. She looked up at him. “So, what do I do first?”

“Gonna have to meet with the leaders. Introduce yourself, make sure they know to follow your word. Then, we gotta clear parks. This place was huge, and had five parks in it. Who knows what is setting up house in them now so we gonna clean em up, give them to a gang. Raise a flag so they know whose it is.”

“A flag?”  
“Most these dumb fucks can’t even read. A flag is clearly understood. And yes, five parks and three gangs mean you are shorting someone. Gonna have to figure who you want to do that to.”

Nora nodded and walked over to her pack. She knew she had a change in clothes in there somewhere, at least a shirt that covered her. Digging it out, she put it on over her tank top and strapped her armor back on. “Alright, here I go.”

“Go get ‘em, Boss,” Nora swore he almost smiled when he said it. 

Gage ignored his nervousness as the new boss went to go meet with the leaders. He allowed himself one more drink; no need to get hammered on the first day with her. As he sipped his drink, he let his mind wander. She was cute, he would give her that. Pretty, almost. Short little thing, curvy. Not like any other woman he had seen. Women are skinny, lanky, years of radiation and lack of food do that. She looked like one of those pin up models from the old magazines he used to look at as a teen, from before the war. When she took her armor off, showing her body even more under that small tank top, he had to think about rotten mutfruit to keep his head on straight. 

He could tell she was insecure how she looked by the way she sat. He didn’t get that but who understood women? He had been thankful when she put on a regular shirt to meet with the raider leaders. Mason would have been on her in a minute. Mason liked women who looked like her hell, any man did, but Mason would say she looked “birthing healthy”. He chuckled to himself, that fucking alpha took that primal animal shit too seriously. 

Still lost in his own thoughts about Nora, he jumped when he heard the lift come back up. She walked in and threw her gun down and armor off. “How did it go?”

“Fucking great. Nisha wants to stab me.”

“Nisha wants to stand everyone.”

“Mags and William are cool with me cause I promised them a ton of caps. So That means I gotta bring in a fuck ton of caps.”

“Keeping promises is smart.”

“Mason complimented my birthing hips and asked if I had a mate.”

Gage laughed out at that. Not too far from what I thought. “Did he do anything to you?”

She gave him that cute smile. “Nah, threatened to castrate him in front of his boys. He didn’t like that but I think he respects me cause he gave me a pretty cool gun.” Gage looked the gun over, it had Pack written all over it with its bright colors and paw prints painted on it.

“Nice.”

She walked over and took a beer out of the cooler. Gage liked that she was already making herself at home. “Well. What now?”

“Get some rest, we should check the market in the morning. Make yourself seen to the people there. Then we should start clearing parks. The quicker you act on your promises, and show you ain’t fucking around, the more respect they will have for you.”

Gage watched her think about it. “So, where do I sleep? Where do you sleep?”

Gage pointed out the door. I got a room down the hall. Your bed's over there, behind the dressers.”

She looked over, and set her doe eyes back on Gage. Oh, no. “Can you… look you can say no, I am not a tyrant but, I am in a new place with no one here for me, in a nest of raiders who would slit my throat in my sleep. I don’t trust you but… just for tonight, can you sleep in here? I can help you drag a mattress in here or take the couch or something.”

Gage knew he should say no, absolutely say no. She couldn’t be soft, not seen as soft. She needed to be hard. But the way she looked at him pulled at a feeling in his chest he had figured stopped existing years ago. “Alright. I’ll take the couch. Get some rest.”

When she smiled he felt like he was punched in the gut. He turned, undoing the clasps on his armor and taking off his boots, setting up his sleeping area with his gun and knife in arm’s reach. He turned back to the boss and nearly jumped out of his skin. 

She was already stripping out of her clothes, down to her tank top and some kind of underwear that looked like shorts. He cleared his throat and she looked back at him, smiling. “Sorry, I’m not super modest. Been living in close quarters with people of all genders. I’m sorry if it makes you uncomfortable.”

Don’t think about her thighs. Don’t think about her ass. Rotten mutfruit. Dad banging mom. “It’s alright, but don’t apologize. Ever. To me, anyone at all. It will be seen as weakness.”

Something dark crossed her face and she nodded. “Goodnight, Gage.”

He settled himself down into the couch. “ ‘Night, Boss.”

He laid on his back, doing everything he could to not think of the cute number laying in her underwear just twenty feet from him. Fuck.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora begins her work as overboss, and Gage struggles to keep naughty thoughts from brewin'

Nora awoke the next morning as light was barely crossing the horizon. She sat up in the bed, and had to admit it was a beautiful view. What was once a restaurant at the top of a huge building was now her loft, and she could see across the park and some of the Commonwealth. There was a pink and purple hue in the sky, as dark clouds began to be pushed away by the son. She heard a cough and looked over, Gage was sitting in a chair by the window, very interested in the gun in his lap.

She gave him a small smile. “Morning. This is a beautiful view.” He grunted, not looking up. “Alright, alright, I’m up, grumpy.” She swore she saw the corners up his mouth pop up for a minute, then his face went hard again. 

“Get ready, boss. We gotta go to the market, get supplies, and start to work on the parks,” he said, still not looking up.

She got out of bed and shivered at the cool morning air. Walking to her pack she grabbed her only pair of jeans and a shirt, throwing them on. Before the war, before the bombs and she woke in this cruel world, she would have never worn dirty underwear. Now it just has to last longer. 

“Anything you can fill me in on the parks while I get ready?” She looked around the bar for food and found a box of snack cakes, throwing a few in her mouth and washing it down with a beer. Finishing off the beer, she lit a smoke while gathering the rest of her pack. 

“Let’s see,” he pulled one of those tourist maps out of his pocket, “This is all I really got. Galactic Zone, the bottling plant, Kiddie Kingdom, Safari Zone, and Dry Rock Gulch. I know little to nothing about what is in them, so we need to be prepared for a shit show.”

She nodded. “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.”

He put the map back in his pocket. “Honestly I wouldn’t bother hopin’ either.”

“Aren’t you just a ray of fucking sunshine?”

He snorted, and she pulled her boots on. The sole was coming off of one of them. She had duct taped it on but the tape was wearing off. Looking around for glue, she searched her pack. She did find her hair brush and ran it through her dark brown locks, brushing the matted curls out. While she was at it, she pulled out stuff from her pack that could stay in the loft to make room for more supplies. She would need stuff at the market, which reminded her, “Oh, shit, Gage. I have no fucking caps.”

“That why your boot taped together?”

She had hoped he wouldn’t notice. “Kinda. But I am gonna need supplies if we are doing shit, and I don’t have the caps to get it.”  
He pointed in the direction of the bottom drawer on a dresser. Nora pulled it open and gasped. Full to the brim with caps. “Whatever was Colter’s is yours now.” He stood up and pointed at her, “So get some new goddamn boots.”

She did a mock salute. “Yes, sir!”

“Don’t ever do that again.”

“Not the joking sort, right?”

“You fuckin’ ready already?”

She sighed with exasperation. “Oh my god, yes. Let’s go, Grumpygills.”

Going out the lift to the market was a short walk. She had her pack on over her light armor, handgun on her hip and shotgun holstered to her back. When she saw the market, she gasped. She knew it was too good to be true. 

Slaves. All with collars. They looked to be in decent enough condition, not starving or sick. Didn’t appear to be any bruises. Gage took a seat in the middle of the round market. “Do you thing. I’ll be here, just got a few things to get later.”

“You won’t get them now?” She asked. 

“I gotta watch your back,” he pointed.

She gulped, remembering where she was. Gage wasn’t kind, but he was nice enough and she kept forgetting she was in the lion’s den. 

Gage sat and watched her. She was nervous but pretty good at putting on a strong face. He really had to see the signs to know, and he knew she wasn’t into the slaves. Fuck, he wasn’t either but they were raiders. As far as slaves go the ones here were treated well, some of them even had families. He wanted Nora to know that they weren’t regular Commonwealth trash raiders, they were just people trying to survive like everyone else. 

Okay they did a lot of stealing and killing, too but it wasn’t like they did that everywhere to everyone. He watched her interact, the way she spoke to people. People seemed to like her, and opened up immediately. That was a good trait in a leader, being able to have a following that respected them. Fear was important, and intimidation, but respect was more. He watched her picking up food and water, stimpacks, a few chems (which he was not pleased about but as long as it wasn’t a habit) and some articles of clothing. 

He started thinking about where she came from. They had scouts, they could get info on her but, where did she come from? Why did she have nothing on her, just the minimum to survive and barely that. She was an excellent fighter, and she wasn’t skinny and ragged looking. Her skin was clear, her eyes were bright, she had all her teeth. Gage ran his tongue over his own teeth, many black and rotted away. She had wanted him to stay close, what did she see when she saw him?

His eyebrows went up when the boss practically skipped over to him. A few Pack members watched it too, and talked among themselves. Let them, he thought. She was confident in herself and her abilities, confidence is important.

He almost smiled at her. “Done?”

“Yup! They are gonna keep an eye out for boots in my size. I’ll make do for now. Got ammo and supplies we need. What did you need?”

“Ammo.” He walked off to the slave selling ammo and guns, got what he needed, and they left. Outside the market, he pulled the map out again. She looked at him quizzically. “Hey, no judgement and I don’t want to be mean when I ask this but… Can you read?”

He chuckled at how cute she looked when she said that, she really didn’t want to hurt his feelings. “Well enough, Boss. I get by.” He looked down at the map. “I don’t even know where to start.”

He watched her close her eyes and say, “Eenie, meenie, minie, moe, catch a tiger by its toe,” he looked around to make sure no one was seeing this, “if he hollers let him go, eenie meenie minie moe.” Her finger stopped on the Galactic Zone. “There we go!”

His heart slightly fluttered how she beamed up at him. “You’re the boss.” They adjusted their packs and set off out of Nuka-Town. 

Gage fucking hated robots and the place was filled with them. He was growing more and more frustrated, they had to find some shit called star cores. Fucking 20 of them just to get the park up and running again. In a building she was able to hack a computer to turn off a bunch of the robots which he was grateful for. 

They went from building to building, finding star cores and shoving them in a bag. Overall, the first park was going well besides a rogue automatron. Until they entered a building that was basically a Vault-Tec museum. He got a bad feeling in his stomach as she became more solemn, moving slower. He tried to lighten the mood. “Those Vault-Tec fucks. Stick a bunch of people underground with nothing to do, what could go wrong?”

She gave him a sad smile, but said nothing. After wandering and finding more star cores, one room that was supposed to be a Vault Tec living room she said quietly, ‘Not all of them are like this.”

“What’s that?”

“The vaults. This is a nice one.”

Was she from a vault? Would explain a lot, but where did she learn to fight? “You have a lot of experience with vaults?”

“Kinda,” she smiled at him. “It’s a long story, and I don’t trust you.”

“Fair enough. Hey, I think we got twenty of these things, now,” he pointed out, obviously changing the subject. 

She gladly accepted the change. “Let’s do it!”

They went back to the main control area and but the cores in the slots where they belonged. Gage looked longingly at the power armor locked away behind glass. “You want that?” she asked him. 

“Who fuckin’ wouldn’t? Ain’t never had power armor. Never will,” he looked towards the monitors she was fiddling with. 

His heart jumped when she put a hand on his wrist. “You can have it. I’ll give this to the operators, and tell them they have to find the rest of the cores but it is safe, now. When they find them we can get it out, and you can have it.”

“Shit, Boss. You should have it.”

“I got power armor. Not here, somewhere. Well, then I guess I don’t have power armor. But it’s okay, I’m not a huge fan of it. Only use it when I really need it. I like being quick, agile.” She smiled at him again. “Really, you can have it. I will order it so.”

“Shit. I don’t know what to say,” he muttered.

“Usually thank you is accepted in these situations.”

He mumbled a thank you and she chuckled. “Don’t hurt yourself, Gage.” He was still looking at the power armor when she said, “I’m not a raider. I mean, getting to know you, maybe raiders ain’t all that bad but I’m not a raider. I’m actually a good person. At least, I think I am. I used to be.” She sighed, and Gage looked up at her. Who was she? “I wouldn’t hurt you or fuck you over, unless you tried to hurt or fuck me over.”

“I get that,” Gage said. “Look, I know you got hangups about raiders but the only ones you have experienced are the psychos out there, stupid and unorganized. We ain’t like that. Many raiders here have families, kids. They just want to take care of themselves and their gang members. They are fiercely loyal. They don’t kill at random. I know the slaves is a soft spot for you and I am not a fan of slaves but that’s just how it is. Most of the slaves here actually end up joining a raider gang, especially the Pack. Mason likes slaves, likes seeing them become better, stronger.”

Gage stopped rambling. He realized he was defending them to this woman, and he didn’t need to. She just nodded, and they turned to head out. The sun was just beginning to set, and Gage’s stomach was rumbling. “Let’s head home, get some dinner and some sleep. Start bright and early tomorrow.”

She nodded, then jumped up. “Oh! I forgot the flag.” He watched her fumble for the operator’s flag from her bag and tied it to the rope on the flag pole. She beamed at him again. “Let’s go home, trusty sidekick.” 

Gage hid his smile behind his hand. Fuck she was adorable. 

Nora was on a high walking back to Nuka-Town. She knew she shouldn’t get too excited, all of the parks wouldn’t be that easy. But being her barely a full day and already doing more than the last overboss would bode well for her. The gangs would see she means business, and respect her. They finally made it to the lift and when Gage hit the button to send them up, Nora realized how tired she was. They barely ate all day, trying to get stuff done. 

The nasty little thought entered her brain, ‘you don’t need to eat anyway, look at you’. She tried to push it away but it stuck. She looked at her reflection in the window, turning around to see her body. She noticed Gage was watching her, eyebrow raised. She laughed it off. “I was just realizing that we hadn’t eaten much today but that’s okay because I should eat less anyway.”

He tilted his head. “What do you mean? You need to eat.”

“I mean, look at me.”

“And?”

“I am the fattest woman in the Commonwealth.”

“And it looks good on you. Shut up and eat. Boss,” Gage hurriedly added the Boss at the end.

She was surprised he didn’t ask more prying questions, but she assumed it was because he barely knew her as well. Against her greater judgement, she was beginning to warm up to him. He was growing on her like mold. He opened a can of cram and mac and cheese, setting a beer down in front of her with her food. “Eat.” he commanded again. 

She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she started eating, then she pretty much inhaled it all. “See, told you so, Boss,” he said. “You want more?”

Nora shook her head, no need to be a pig. She reminded herself there are people starving in this world, she didn’t need to eat it all. “I’m full.” She decided to sip on her beer instead. 

Gage ate his food in silence, then got up for seconds. They just sat and talked, drinking beer and smoking. Nora found she enjoyed his voice. A deep southern drawl, like dark gravel. After a while they realized the stars were high in the sky. “Shit, we should probably go to bed.”

“Yeah. Need me to stay here again?” He asked.

“Do you mind? I am sure you miss your bed but it's just… Just until I get used to this,” she said and he nodded. 

“It’s fine, Boss. It’s what I do.”

She began taking off her boots, stripping down to her innermost layer. “So where are we going tomorrow?”

“You tell me.”

“I picked the last one.”

“Fuckin’ fine! Goddamn, how about Dry Rock Gulch?”

“It’s a date!” down to her tank top and underwear again, she crawled into bed. “Night, Gage.”

“Goodnight, Boss.”

Gage laid awake in bed, doing his best not to think of the boss. She ain’t even been there two days, he thought to himself. Stop this shit. But something about her, it warmed him. Usually people like her, soft and weak, he scoffed and ignored. She was soft but not weak. He couldn’t put his finger on it. The way she smiled up at him made his heart flutter, and he hated that. He needed to distance himself from her, can’t be going soft. She needed hard edges, to toughen up. He needed to keep her at arm’s length. 

He finally drifted off to sleep, listening to the deep and slow breaths of her own slumber. 

Gage woke first again in the morning, and walked over to her bed. She was out, hard. How anyone can sleep this heavy and not be killed was beyond him. She was on her stomach, arms and legs sprawled out. The blanket had fallen off of her in the night and he got to just see her. Her thick thighs spread apart,and her… 

No, Gage. Stop. Keeping a distance. He walked over to the head of the bed and tapped on her shoulder, “Hey, Boss. Wake up.”

He didn’t expect her to come up fighting. The look on her face just registered fear and she took a swing at him, saying “Fuck off, Nate!”

Thankfully it only took her a moment to gather herself and realize who she was talking to. “Oh my god, Gage. I am so sorry,” she whispered, fumbling out of the bed. “I swear I didn’t mean to attack you-”

“It’s okay, boss, we need to-”

“Really, Gage, I am so sorry. Please don’t be upset over it, it’s just a reflex and I didn’t mean-”

“Boss! Pull yourself together and quit apologizing. I don’t fuckin’ care. Get ready.”

She stopped that time, thankfully. He didn’t want to admit how he felt when she looked afraid, how pitiful she looked apologizing. Was she scared of him? Did she think he was going to hurt her because she woke up like that? He shook the thoughts off. It doesn’t matter, move on. 

They ate some food and Nora made some coffee with some instant powder she found. Gage took a cup, the stuff was hard to come by. They packed their things and got ready, and started off out of Nuka-Town. Gage hoped this next would would be as much of a breeze. 

“So, did you sleep well?” She asked. 

He just grunted. Arm’s length, Gage. 

When he didn’t respond, she didn’t try to talk anymore. He ignored the way her head hung and her shoulders slightly drooping forward. It’s for the best, he kept reminding himself. This is for their own good. 

They made it down to Dry Rock Gulch, and the place had robots but they weren’t hostile. They were dressed as cowboys and talked with a ridiculous Wild West slang. Unfortunately Nora was loving it. 

When the head robot, some sheriff or some shit, talked to Nora she responded in kind. “Well, howdy partner! Just gonna nose along the… uh… dusty trail.” Gage groaned behind her. 

She turned back to him and immediately stopped smiling. “Sorry. Sometimes I forget where and who I am.”

They figured it out from the sheriff robot they had to do some stupid shit to get numbers for a comination. Gage was about to ask why the fuck they needed to do that when the ground started rumbling. A giant bloodworm shot out, heading right towards Nora. 

“Boss!” Gage grabbed his rifle and she got her shotgun, and they both opened fire, killing it before it went underground again. 

“The fuck is THAT?” Nora screamed.

Gage sighed. “Bloodworms. Bet there is a nest nearby, where he is telling you to go with a key. Fucking great. Where do we go to find the combination?”

Nora just shrugged and walked off. A few more times bloodworms came out, but they were easy enough to dispatch. They found another robot, standing by a corral. “Howdy, cowpoke! I-”

Nora just grabbed her shotgun and shot the robot, blowing the top of it off. “What in the fuck, boss! We needed something from it!”

She shook her head. “No we don’t, I can pick the lock on the safe. I didn’t want to listen to the stupid fucks anymore.”

Her voice sounded so cold that Gage felt a little bad for being an ass to her. Then he just reminded himself that it was for the greater good. She shot the other robots on the way, too. Just lifted her handgun and fired without even bothering to look at him. 

Alright, Gage felt a bit like a piece of shit. She had done a 180 in her behavior, and it was rubbing him the wrong way. They made their way to the safe and after some time, Nora was able to unlock it. “Nice, Boss.” 

She just grunted, taking the key you and some ammo that was in it. “Alright, let’s head to Mulligan’s mine or whatever the fuck it is.”

Gage kept his mouth shut as they leapt over the winding wood plants into the building. Immediately they were ambushed with bloodworms as they followed the cart’s track. They both were constantly firing off rounds, keeping them away from them. Gage didn’t want to know if they were venomous. They were doing really well until they ran into the remains of some traders. 

She looked at the body, then just started going through their pockets. “That’s the spirit, Boss,” Gage quipped, but she ignored him. 

They had been fighting bloodworms for hours, and Nora was getting tired of it. She felt like they were close to the bottom of the ride, so the nest had to be there. Frustrated and tired, she didn’t let her mind wander about Gage. He was different, today. Maybe he could only keep up the nice act for 24 hours. At least she knew where she really stood with him, now. 

Nora let herself get too distracted, and got thrown off her feet with a giant bloodworm came out, four times as long as she and a huge mouth. Nora reacted immediately, grabbing her shotgun and firing shot after shot but it was too fast, kept winding around and missing the shots. Suddenly a bloodworm came out of the ground just below Nora and latched onto her leg, biting her calf. 

“Boss!” she heard Gage yell. 

“Fuck it! Get the queen or mother or whatever the fuck that thing is!” She yelled back, hitting the butt of her shotgun against the bloodworm attached to her leg until it let go, and she shot it. Gage yelled for her to take cover so she hid behind one of the fake mining carts, and he threw a grenade at the giant bloodworm. That caused some damage so he threw two more, and it finally stopped moving as much. Nora was able to put two shots in its head. 

“Fuck, Boss! That was a helluva fight!” He clapped his hand on her shoulder, and she turned from him, walking away. “Boss?”

“Let’s get out of here.” She began the trek back up the children’s ride. She was doing her best to hide her limp, the bloodworm had taken a large chunk out of her calf and it was burning like hell. 

“Hey, Boss, let’s just sit here a minute. I think you need a stimpack,” he called out.

“I’m fine, Gage. I’m leaving with or without you, stay or go I don’t care.”

Nora felt pathetic, the day before she had actually let herself feel… something. Not joy or anything, just a normal contentment. She had forgotten who she was, who they were, what she had done, and what she had to do while clearing the park with Gage and that was unacceptable. She felt tears rise up but hurriedly wiped them away, the last thing she needed was for a raider to see her cry. Her leg hurt like hell, she didn’t know how she was going to make it back to Nuka-Town. She barely got out of Mulligan’s Mine before she collapsed on the steps. 

She focused on her breathing, eyes closed. Before she knew it Gage was kneeling in front of her and put his hand on her shoulder. “Boss?”

She snapped open her eyes and moved away from his hand. “I’m fine. Let’s get the fuck home so I can have some fucking peace and quiet.” She went to stand, and the pain in her calf was unbearable. She screamed out as she collapsed again. 

“Goddamn stubborn ass woman. Sit down and shut up,” he grumbled. She should have been more pissed than she was about being spoken to like this, but the pain was the worst she ever felt. But she couldn’t be seen as weak, she had to be the Overboss. 

Before she could fight him off, he had his knife out and cut her jeans off at the knee. “For fuck’s sake, I only have two pairs of pants!”

Suddenly, Nora believed because the universe hated her, thunder rolled in and the radiated rain began to fall. The geiger counter on her PIP-boy began clicking non-stop. “Shit. We need to get home.” She tried to stand again and fell, but this time Gage held her by the elbow.

“Let’s just take cover for right now, wait this out. I need to look at your leg,” he said, guiding her to a building.

“Oh, so you are a doctor, now?” 

He just grunted and Nora felt herself beginning to give in to the pain. After a few steps she stumbled, the world spinning around her. He just mumbled, “Fuck this” then picked her up in his arms, carrying her to one of the buildings that was probably once an old saloon. 

She couldn’t argue anymore. She couldn’t be seen as weak but right now she was. He finished removing the leg off her pants and she heard him gasp. “Boss, why didn’t you tell me it was this bad?”

She didn’t open her eyes, head resting against a wall. “Hmm? It’s not that bad.” She winced as he poked the bite and he grumbled. 

She heard him rustling in his pack and she opened her eyes. When she saw her leg she nearly screamed. The whole calf was red and swollen, with a large chunk taken out and clear liquid oozing from it. She watched him as he got a stimpack and a few chems, and he stabbed a stimpack into her leg with no warning. 

Immediately it felt like relief. It stopped bleeding but the venom from the bloodworm was still coursing through her veins. Her vision was becoming a tunnel and all she could see was his face. He grabbed onto her shoulder. “You get hurt, you tell me! Should have treated this immediately! If you get stubborn and die then I am totally fucked.”

She smiled up at him. “Oh, come on, you want me to ask you for help cause you got the hots for me,” she joked. She wasn’t feeling so hot, or really was very hot. Her head rolled forward. 

“Boss, you need to get some rest. Have to sleep the venom off. Here,” he jabbed a small dose of med-x into her arm. She let herself succumb to the chem, falling over as she passed out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora and Gage clear out Safari and hit a snafu. Nora shares a bunch with Gage and these stubborn assholes have their first kiss. Gage doesn't like that Mason is so comfortable with Nora.
> 
> Mention of past domestic violence in this chapter.

Gage watched the boss slump over, passing out immediately. He had given her a small dose because she was so tiny, but he decided it was a good thing she didn’t have a tolerance to chems. He lifted her head up and stuck his rolled up sleeping bag under it, and she sighed softly under his touch. He snapped his hand back like she burned him. 

“Fuck,” he mumbled, then sat cross legged by her head, rifle in his lap.he set his head back against the wall as he tried to clear the dirty thoughts in his mind, thoughts like her making that soft moaning sound as his hand- nope. Stop that, Gage. She is the boss, she ain’t even a raider. He had no idea who she was or where she came from. 

As he pondered this puzzle his eyes began to droop as he drifted off into a nap himself. Fuck, when was the last time he just sat, relaxed like this? Suddenly he heard cries coming from next to him. His eyes snatched open as he looked over. Nora was still asleep but she was talking. “Please, Nate, don’t. Please. Just leave Shaun, please Nate don’t.” He watched her as she cried softly in her sleep, still begging this Nate to stop. 

This made the puzzle more confusing. Who was Nate? And Shaun? Should he even ask her? Her business was her own, but if someone was after her they would need to know to take proper security measures. Yeah, that was why he wanted to know. Not because he was worried she had a man waiting for her somewhere, because what would that matter? This was purely for the safety of her and the raiders. 

As he felt himself begin to doze off again, she jolted awake, sitting straight up and looking at him. He set a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay, Boss. I gave you some medication to help you sleep through the venom. How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” she snapped, but the grimace on her face said otherwise. He popped open a can of water and gave it to her, grateful when she took it and sipped. 

“So, Boss, I don’t really know much about you.”

“And I don’t know shit about you.” she snapped back. 

He sighed. “Who is Nate?” He decided to get straight to the point. He regretted it. Her face went pale, her lip trembled. Her hand holding the can of water shook. “Boss?”

“How do you know that name? What do you know? Who are you?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down, Boss. You said the name in your sleep. Shaun, too. I realized I didn’t know much about you and you have these nightmares while screaming out for some guy named Nate. Just wanted to know if you were in danger, if we needed to increase security.”

She stared at him and he felt uncomfortable under her glare. He shifted in his seat, and she softened a little bit. 

“Nate was my husband. Shaun was my son.”

“Was?”

“Dead.”

“Oh,” he said. Now he felt like a right asshole. “Sorry,” he mumbled. 

“No you aren’t,” she snapped, then sighed. “And I’m not either. I was grateful when I saw him shot in front of me. He was holding our son when it happened.”

Damn, Gage thought. He wanted to ask more questions but thought better of it. He looked out the window and saw the rain was letting up. “We can probably head out if you are feeling up to it.”

She nodded and stood, wincing but taking a few steps. With baby steps he watched her walk outside to a pole, and strung a Disciples flag on it. Gage raised a brow at her. “Disciples?”

“Yeah, last one went to the operators, I wanna give Safari to the pack. Figured first three would go to each of them, then I will figure out who will try to kill me later.”

Gage nodded, made sense. They could clear three parks and take a break for a few days, regroup. Right now he needed to get her back to Fizztop. She was limping heavily. “You want some more med-x? I’m not a fan of chems recreationally, but they all serve their purpose one time or another.”

She nodded and he gave her another small dose, enough to help her walk. Her body relaxed and they were able to get back to Fizztop not too long after dark. Gage helped her step onto the lift, and kept his hand around her waist to keep her steady as it lurched up. He felt her melt into his side for a minute, and then she broke the contact to step into the loft. She stripped off her armor and boots, and took a seat at one of the chairs. 

He got a bottle of whiskey and two glasses, sitting down in a chair opposite her. He watched her light a smoke as he poured, and they both sipped on the burning brown liquid. Gage looked over her, past the window but his eye snapped to her when she said, “I am from a vault.”

That explains the perfect skin and hair shit. Most people from vaults can’t fight, though. He had a ton of questions but kept his mouth shut, hoping she would go on herself and boy, did she go on.

He listened as the story fell from her lips like a volcano. “I am pre-war. The big war. I know, you don’t believe me. I can’t make you believe me. I had a husband, a son. When the bombs fell we went into the vault.” She looked at him and Gage’s heart hurt from the sorrow on her face. “What do you know about the vaults?”

He cleared his throat. “Some crazy shit. All I hear are stories, the vaults were some experiment with the government. Each vault was different.”

She nodded, going on. “The vault I was in did cryogenics. I was frozen, with my husband and son. They didn’t tell us, told us the pods were for decontamination.” She finished off the booze in her glass, shaking hands pouring more. “My son and Nate were in the pod across from me. I had no idea how long had gone past, it was like being asleep. One day I wake up and someone is taking my son, shooting my husband in the head.” She took a drag off her smoke, tilting her head back. “They took my son. I woke up again, not knowing how long it had been, again. I started looking for my son, thinking he was a newborn still.”

Everything suddenly made sense to Gage. Her sweet demeanor, her flawless skin, fuck she even had all her teeth. Her body was that of someone soft, someone who did not spend a holw lifetime going hungry. And she had a kid, which explained her stomach. 

A single tear fell down her cheek and she hurriedly wiped it away. “Took me a long time. Two years. But I found him, he wasn’t a baby. He was a man, a sixty year old man. And the leader of the Institute.” Gage’s jaw dropped, but she kept going. “He wanted me to join them, join in their sick perversion of playing god to ‘save humanity’. I wouldn’t do it. So I killed him, and blew up the Institute.”

Gage knew he shouldn’t believe her, this was insane. But he just knew, looking at her, the sadness on her face. She was telling the truth. She was quiet for a moment, so Gage asked, “Is that what your nightmares are about? Them killing your husband?” It didn’t make sense, in her nightmares she was telling Nate to stop, but maybe it just sounded weird. 

She gave him a half smile. “Sort of. I’m sorry for dumping all of this on you. This is a professional relationship, I shouldn’t be baring my soul to you.” She stood up and immediately fell. Gage figured it was the med-x and the alcohol. He grabbed her, picking her up again. She was so light. He carried her over to her bed, and set her down gently. 

“Get some rest, Boss. If you are better in the morning, we are going to Safari Adventure. One more park, then we can take a break.” She nodded at him and he watched her eyelids drop, and with a soft sigh she drifted into sleep. 

“Fuck,” he muttered, tucking her hair behind her ear and moving to a chair beside her bed.

Nora woke, shivering and sweating. Her hair stuck to her neck and her clothes felt wet. She sat forward quickly then regretted the action as her stomach tumbled. Gage was waiting next to her in a chair with a bucket. Grateful, she threw up into it until she had nothing left, then sat back on the bed. He wordlessly set the bucket down. 

“You alright, Boss?”

“Yeah. What happened?”

“You have been up and down all night with a fever. I think we should hold off on another park, wait for the venom to get out of your system,” Gage said. 

Nora shook her head. “No, that would be seen as weak. We have to clear the park today. How bad could it be?”

Gage grunted, “Well each park we do is worse than the last so ya know, hope for the best and all that shit.”

Nora rubbed a hand over her face, peeling the wet hair off. “Just give me a bit to get cleaned up and we will go.” He looked hesitant. “That is final, Gage.” She wanted that to sound more commanding than it did. 

He didn’t move. She slowly got up and was able to stand without her stomach upchucking again. She was in her underwear but didn’t think about how that happened. She didn’t want to think of Gage carrying her to the bed, stripping her clothes off, leaning over her…

Oh, get a grip on yourself, she scolded. Her brain wants to keep this up she is going to need to give herself a real good talking to. He is a raider. And even if she could look past that, he would have no interest in her. He probably likes beautiful, sexy, angry, violent women that would bite a man’s head off after sex. Not some chubby pre-war vault dweller that had an existential crisis and strolled into a raider’s nest. 

She realized she had been standing and staring out the window with all of these thoughts. In her periphery, she could see Gage watching her with his one eye. She sighed, and gathered her pants, seeing that one leg was cut off. It was warm enough out now. “Gage, hand me your knife real quick.”

She was amused at his hesitance, but he gave it to her. Quickly she cut the other leg off, making the sides even. Now she had shorts. She put them on and rolled up the cuffs. A bit too short but they would work. She handed him back his knife and put on a tank top, pulling on socks and boots. By the time she was done she was exhausted. 

“See, Boss? You barely get dressed and you need to sit.”

“I’m fine, Gage. I’ll just take some buffout ot something.” His eyebrow cocked and she sighed. “I will take half of one, just enough to take the edge off and give me some pep. I need this done, I can’t do two parks and leave a third gang waiting for their first territory for too long, they will get salty about it.”

She reached into her pack as she grabbed a bottle with buffout, and took half of a tablet as she promised. She swallowed it down with a beer that Gage held out for her, and poured some lukewarm water in a cup with some instant coffee, throwing it all back. 

She threw her arms up and put on her brightest smile. “See? All better!” She couldn’t figure out the look he gave her, and she assumed he was frustrated. Oh, well. She had to get Safari taken, then they could take a break. Get some glorious sleep. Maybe hang out and drink with her right hand man. She began to think about crawling into his lap as he sat there, all serious business then pushed the thought away. 

Just like every other morning they put on armor, got packs set, eating gross junk food as they moved. “I also want real food at some point.” She noticed how he looked at her. “No, offense. I get it, this is a necessity but I also want a hot meal. Something cooked.”

He nodded. Man, he is quiet this morning. As with any other morning they set off out of Nuka-town. Safari Adventure was at the furthest point of the park. Nora tried to fill in the silence. “You get enough sleep?”

“I didn’t get any sleep,” he grumbled.

She stopped walking and gawked at him. “Why didn’t you sleep? And why didn’t you tell me?”

“I told you we should have taken today off,” he pointed out. 

“You told me it was so I could rest, you didn’t tell me something was wrong with you!”

“Nothing is wrong with me, Boss. You had some bad fevers last night, sleeping real fitful. I stayed up to make sure you didn’t choke on your puke or some shit,” Gage said and Nora swore she saw a slight blush on his cheeks. 

She reached over and put a hand on his forearm, getting him to stop. He looked down at her and she couldn’t read his face. “Gage, I am not a raider.”

“Don’t I fuckin’ know it.”

“Gage, shut the fuck up. I am not a raider, okay? This is all new to me. I have to be tough and scary all the time and I can’t appear sick. If you needed rest, you should have told me.”

Gage turned and started walking again. “Won’t be the first time I am up all night, won’t be the last. Come on, let’s get this shit over with.” She watched him keep walking, and followed. 

It was midmorning when they got to the end of the park where Safari Adventure was. “Gage, I need to sit a minute before we go in there. Eat something,” she looked up at his grumpy face, “Please.”

He grunted and sat next to her on a bench and she sorted through her pack for food. She found a bag of jerky from the marketplace and a Nuka-cola. Gage declined the soda but took a handful of jerky, quietly ripping off pieces with his teeth and looking towards Safari Adventure. 

Nora remembered the night before when she was spilling out about her past, and how Gage looked at her. She popped the other half of the buffout and figured, why not go all the way? “Gage, my husband, he…” she stopped and he looked over at her like he had forgotten she was there. She went on. “He was not a good man.”

She waited for him to say something but he just kept his eye forward. “He was fun when we dated, but I got pregnant. In that world, women had less rights than they do now. Pregnancy meant marriage, marriage meant hell for me. I was just supposed to be his wild oats to sow, but he ended up having to marry me because he forgot to pull out.” She played with a strap on her pack. “It was okay at first. I made the best of it. I was a housewife, keeping home and hearth while my handsome husband fought for America. Everything was tolerable until…” she gulped. “Until he came back from the war.”

She wiped a tear off her cheek before Gage saw it. “Before the war I pissed him off and he just got over it. When he came back he was a different person. No control of his emotions. He would yell, scream. He started hurting me after Shaun was born, he was decent enough to wait until I wasn’t pregnant. Shaun was only a few weeks old when the bombs dropped. When we came home from the hospital, because back then you gave birth in a hospital, he wanted me to make dinner. I was so tired, so exhausted. I had labored for 22 hours and breastfeeding a newborn. But I made dinner, unfortunately falling asleep as it cooked. I burned it.”

Nora moved her hand over, looking at her palm. At the angry, red, and round scar tissue that would always be a reminder. “He took my hand and placed it over the hot stove, burning me. I knew then everything would be different. When the bombs dropped, I was almost relieved.”

Gage hadn’t said anything the whole time, just staring forward unblinking. Nora sat with her palm up in her lap, staring at the scars. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be talking about this. Not with you.” She gasped when Gage leaned over and pressed a finger to the ringed scars on her hand. 

Gage finally said, “Any stories I have heard from people about before the great war, it is all shit. Your husband deserved what he got. If he lived here, this time, he would have been dragged out in the street, executed and his body hung up to rot from wire.”

“Yes, times were very different back then. Honestly, in some ways, it is better today than it was then. I can do whatever I want, I don’t need a man following me around telling me what to do-”

“Hate to break it to you, Boss, but that is literally my job,” Gage interrupted. 

“You know what I mean. There is so much fucked up shit in this world, it is so dark sometimes. But there are these moments, these little glimmers, where shit is just better. I might even be happier in this time period than I was, then.”

“Really, Boss?”

Nora laughed, standing up and getting her pack on, rifle handy for what was ahead of them. “Come on, Gage. Picture me, a housewife in my pretty little dresses cooking food for a man, waiting loyally for him to come home so I can give him a drink,” and Gage did think about it and almost cursed at how much he enjoyed the mental image. 

“I am happier now than I was then. That sets the bar kinda low but, come on. This shit is fucking great. Now let’s go see what abominations are in here, this used to be a zoo before the bombs fell.”

Nora immediately regretted using the word abomination, like she caused what happened herself. Just inside the park was only what she could describe as a hybrid between a deathclaw and an.. Alligator? Out of nowhere, a caveman ran up to them with a giant stick in his hands. Nora appreciated the sight, he was handsome and muscled and wearing only a loincloth. Until he spoke. 

“You kill monster! You strong! Me, cito. Cito and family need help. Follow me,” and he ran off. Nora looked back at Gage and shrugged, then they followed Cito.

This can not get any weirder, Nora thought. They followed Cito into a building that looked like a pyramid and she again regretted the thought. Inside were several gorillas that were… ghouls. What in the fuck?

“Cito’s family. Cito needs help. Wrinkly man made family, helped me. Made gators,” Cito went on. And on. Nora barely listened. 

“Alright, alright, alright,” she held up a hand and looked back at Gage who looked delightfully amused. “You said old dude made y’all? Some Kind of scientist? And the gatorclaws are being fucking cloned? So, we shut off the cloning machine, destroy the gators, all done. Easy peazy.”

Gage scoffed. “Yeah, Boss. Real fuckin’ easy.”

Nora pointed at Gage, looking as tough as she could. “Keep it up. You’re cruisin’ for a bruisin’.”

Gage rolled his eyes, and Nora set to talking to Cito. She gathered she had to go to some roller coaster, get something, then a pyramid? Whatever, she would figure it out. Her brain was still off from the venomous attack and her leg hurt like hell. Maybe she should pay better attention, but if Cito and the… Ghoulrillas? Could come along then it would probably work out. Probably. 

Hours later Gage was cussing the boss out in his head. They had killed twelve of those fucking monsters and had two in front of them with an all white one that Nora called “albino”. He had no idea what that meant but he was fucking over this shit already. They spent hours running around the park looking for shit to get to the cloning machine. He was grateful that Cito and his gorilla things came with, it made destroying the gatorclaws way easier. 

Finally the last of the gatorclaws in the building fell, and Nora ran to a terminal to hack into it and get to the cloning machine. After what seemed like forever, she clapped her hands. “Alright! All done! No more of them. This terminal says there are twenty five of those damn things. How many have we killed so far?” She looked at Gage expectantly. 

Gage counted in his head then said, “Since we came into the park, eighteen. That leaves seven.”

Nora nodded at Gage and he was doing his best to remain cold and distant to her. She spilled her guts to him earlier, sharing things that he would have not liked to have known. He felt himself closer to her against his judgement. 

“Alright,” Nora said, “let’s get this happy little family back to their home, and we will head out. If we see any more, we will kill them. I am going to wait to raise the flag, I want to talk to Mason in person. Let him know the park is his but that there are a few more of those assholes to kill. I don’t want to raise the flag and they come in without knowing and get ambushed.”

“Sounds like a damn good plan, Boss,” Gage said, and he meant it. They had killed more than enough of those and the whole Pack would finish them off easily if they knew to expect them. Gage watched Nora’s demeanor change as she turned to Cito. 

“Cito, I have some friends that are going to move in here. They won’t hurt you or your family. Is that okay?” Nora asked. Gage pushed down the feeling bubbling up in his chest. 

The wild man nodded. “Any friend yours is friend Cito. Thank you,” the man said, shaking her hand enthusiastically. 

The motley crew began the trek back to return Tarzan over here with his monkey family to the place where they set up shop. They only ran into one more gatorclaw, so Gage mentally noted that there were only six left. He was almost in a good mood when they came upon some kind of maze. Shit, they had to get through it to get to the other side, or walk an extra few hours. 

Nora just set her shoulders and started through it, and Gage followed. After some time she was becoming more and more distressed as she got lost in the maze. 

“Boss, we have passed that leaf several times,” Gage quipped. 

She halted in her path, turned on her heel, and stared him down. “I swear to all that is holy, if you do not shut the fuck up I will do to you what I did to the Brotherhood of Steel.”

“What did you do to them, Boss?” Gage almost made a dirty joke but her face made him change his mind. He absentmindedly held onto the yellow cage armor on his chest. 

She just smiled at him, and he remembered Shank, their intel guy, telling him about the Prydwen just exploding out of the sky one day, killing all those tin can bigots in it. 

“Wait, Boss, you telling me you are the one who killed them?”

“Yup. Well, not alone. I had a friend, Mac,” her face fell at the name, and a dark look crossed her face. Gage didn’t like the look of that. 

“Why? What they do to you?”

“I don’t like bigots. Never have, even before the war. But we had a different kind of bigot then. But bigotry is bigotry. They thought they were untouchable, so I killed them all.”

Gage just gawked at her. “Holy shit, Boss. You are something.”

She just smiled up at him. “I know. We also need to get out of this fucking maze before I lose my-”  
Suddenly, the hedge started shaking. Gage heard the growl before he saw the claw reaching through. On instinct, he grabbed Nora and threw her behind him. She was arguing but he ignored her. The gatorclaw seemingly came out of nowhere, tearing through the hedges of the maze and coming right at them. 

Gage started shooting but the bullets just bounced off it’s shell. Shit, he thought, he needed to get to its belly. Nora looked like she read his mind and pulled him back to cover with her, and she threw two grenades under the gatorclaw, the explosions hitting the underbelly of the creature. 

And it didn’t kill it. Fuck, it didn’t kill it. Now it was injured and pissed, coming right for them. Gage cussed as he shoved Nora behind him again and started shooting shot after shot. He heard her shooting behind him. The monster was on him now and took a hard swipe of its claw to his shoulder, arm, and stomach. His armor caught most of it but the blood started pouring out fast. He was on the ground now, being held down by it as the creature tried swiping him with its laughably short arms. 

The blood was coming out faster now. He heard Nora scream and his adrenaline went up but he still couldn’t move. He brought all of his energy together to get up, to protect her. He couldn’t let anything happen to her, that was his job. Finally he was able to stand and his eyes came to focus. He saw Nora, screaming with blood on her face and arms, stabbing a knife into the eyes of the screaming creature repeatedly. The gatorclaw was blinded, and she emptied a magazine of ammo into it. Finally it was totally still and Gage watched Nora breath heavily. He reached out for her, and then the ground came up to meet his face. 

Nora cussed a slew of words under her breath. She didn’t want to attract any more of those fucking things, not with Gage out. She got all the stimpacks out of her pack and rolled him over on his back. His skin was ashy, not good. He lost a lot of blood, and she was trying to remember all the steps for hypovolemic shock treatment. First she got the armor off of him, grunting with the effort. How the fuck does he wear this shit?

She started shoving stimpacks in him. One in the shoulder, one in the arm. One in the stomach. The blood was no longer coming out but he lost a lot of blood already. She tried to think with her medkit, she needed to get his blood volume up so his heart kept pumping, but this world didn’t do IV’s and saline. She got the gauze and bandages out and hoped the stimpacks would work on his blood count as well. Cleaning the wounds as best she could with shaking hands, she began to wrap up his shoulder and arm. Cutting his tank top off, she began to do the same with his stomach and chest.  
She heard him cough and snapped her eyes up to meet his. “Gage?”

“Boss?” He sounded so weak and pitiful she almost laughed. 

She focused on wrapping him up and felt his hand cup her face, thumb rubbing her cheek. “You okay, Boss?”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re bleeding,” he argued, coughing again and wincing from the pain. 

“I said I am fine. Just shut up,” she argued back, blinking back the tears in her eyes. A rogue tear fell anyway, landing on the tip of his thumb.

“Boss?”

“I said I’m fine. We need to get somewhere safe, you can’t fight right now and we are sitting ducks.”

He grunted and slowly got himself up, picking up his armor that Nora discarded. She came over to him and pushed herself against his side, gently taking his arm and wrapping it over her shoulders. She felt him tense against her. “Shut up and just let me help you.”

He gave him and let some of his weight fall on her. So much weight she almost buckled under him but she just bent her knees and took it, making sure to not enjoy the warmth of his body against hers. Walking slowly, they came across a building they had cleared earlier. “Let’s set up here, we can’t walk all the way back in this shape.” He didn’t answer her so she steered him to the building, struggling to open the door with his weight on him, and dragging him inside. Once they were inside the building she helped him sit down. 

She took a quick look around and made sure it was still clear and once it was, she yelled out, “Fuck!” she took a deep breath and looked over at Gage, who was watching her. “Fuck! Fuck! Goddammit!”

“Get it out, Boss.”

“Tampon!”

“What’s that?”

She looked at him for a moment, then laughed. “Pre-war thing. Women used them on their periods. Wad of cotton they just shoved up there.”

He looked more confused. “Most women don’t bleed anymore, radiation and all. Not a lot of kids running around.”

Nora huffed as she started getting food and more medical supplies out. “Lucky them. My body didn’t get the memo.” Cans of beans, water, more bandages and stimpacks. She sighed, so much for the hot meal she was going to get later. She had been looking forward to checking out the diner she heard people talking about. 

Gage had managed to sit himself up and Nora sat next to him, redoing his bandages and giving him another stimpack. He grabbed her wrist, “Boss, I’m serious. You are bleeding, too. You need to get that wound looked at.”

“I think it’s mostly on my back. Maybe some on my shoulder. It’s fine, it doesn’t hurt,” she said, waving him off. 

He held onto her wrist tighter. “You are a bad liar, you know that. Come on, I will be fine. Let’s take care of you.” His voice was so soft she blinked at him. 

“Okay.” With shaking hands, she took her shirt off and turned her back to him. “How bad is it?”

She heard him hum for a minute as he checked the damage, and she felt his calloused fingertips brush across the skin of her back. The goosebumps were involuntary and she shivered. “You’ll live. Hand me a stimpack,” he said. 

She did and he stabbed it in. With hands that should not be as gentle as they were, he wrapped her shoulder and back with the last of their linen bandaging. He finished and she didn’t move, keeping her back to him. She was trying to keep herself pulled together. She was scared, angry. Worried. Panicking. She felt his hand gently on the small of her back, his thumb brushing back and forth. His voice was soft, “You okay, Boss?”

She nodded, brushing the tears off her face before turning back, giving him a winning smile. “Yup! We need to just rest a bit then we can head back.” She turned to face him and set busying herself to organizing her pack, handing him food to eat. “Eat this, we need to get your blood volume up. We need to get to Mason and give him the rundown of this place. I’ll make sure he gets plenty of grenades and explosive so they don’t lose anyone clearing those fucks out. Probably swing by the-” Gage set his hand on her hip, holding tight. She looked up at him and he almost looked sympathetic. 

“You okay, Boss?” He asked again. 

She rocked back on her heels and looked him in the eye. “Yeah. Kinda. I dunno. Sorry.”

His hand stayed on her hip and the warmth from his palm started spreading out like a rock thrown into water, ripples and waves crashing over her. She couldn’t read his face. She didn’t want to think of the other man who touched her like this, who made her feel this. The man she left, alone and confused. The man whose heart she broke. She swallowed the tears back again but they threatened to fall as her lip trembled. 

Gage didn’t pull her closer, just held still where he was, his hand a comfort. Watching his face, she looked for any reaction as she moved. She sat up on her knees and crawled forward, looking in his eyes the whole time. His face gave nothing away and his hand didn’t move. She crawled into his lap, straddling him with a knee on either side. The one eye not covered in an eyepatch searched her face as she got closer. Just inches from him she watched as his eyes dropped to her lips then back up again. She took the invitation. 

Gently, slowly, she brushed her lips over his. She expected him to push her off, to stop her and tell her this wasn’t right. She didn’t expect him to inhale sharply and hold onto her waist with both hands, returning the kiss with fever. He didn’t deepen it, didn’t change it, just pressed back. She cupped his face in her hands and ran her tongue along his bottom lip. He groaned, opening his mouth and pressing his tongue against hers. His hands came up to her hair, gripping tightly but without hurting, pressing her to him. 

She let herself get lost in it. She didn’t think about who this was, who she wanted it to be. She didn’t think of MacReady alone, drunk at the Third Rail, crying into a bottle of whiskey with Hancock. She let herself be lost in this moment with this man, this raider, whose touch had no right to be so gentle, so sweet. She finally pulled away from the kiss and rested her forehead against his, pleased when he didn’t move. His hands were still at her hips, gently gripping. She didn’t want to open her eyes, lose the moment. 

She sighed. “Sorry, Gage, I-” she jumped at a pain in her side. 

“Every time you apologize, I am gonna pinch you. Stop that shit,” he said.

She nodded, the moment was gone. She stood up off his lap and got their bedrolls out. She did not want to sleep here, it was cold and dirty, but they needed rest before she went to talk to Mason. Helping him unroll and crawl onto his roll, she rolled hers out a few feet from him and laid down herself. “Let’s just get some rest for a bit. Handle this park shit later.”

He hummed in approval and she closed her eyes. She tried to not let her mind wander to the man just a few feet from her, warm and inviting. Moreover, she didn’t want to think of the man she left. Her hands touched her sides, trailing the spots that MacReady used to touch, running his fingers in circles as he talked to her in bed. She refused to let tears fall as she thought of his hurt. Pushing away the ghosts of love and affection from her mind, she let herself fall asleep. 

Gage stared up at the ceiling as he laid on his bedroll. Fuck, that kiss. That fucking kiss. He knew he should have pushed her off, should have stopped her, shouldn’t have kissed back. She had felt so soft under his hands, her lips sweet against his. He thought of the way she sighed when he touched her. Fuck, this is exactly what should not be happening. She wasn’t his usual type of woman. The women he had moaning under him were other raiders, hard and sharp edges and mean. They clawed and bit. He bet Nora just scratched and nibbled. No, stop thinking about that. Just close your eyes and don’t think about her being asleep a few feet away, sighing in her sleep. He should push her away, just start being a real asshole to her, cold and mean and rude. But every time he pushed her away and she just gave in, letting him push, his heart hurt. 

She had obviously been hurt very bad before, just by how she acted plus the fucked up shit she told him. Part of him wished she hadn’t told him, part of him wished her husband wasn’t dead so he could kill him himself. With a heavy sigh he closed his eyes to finally sleep, and smiled to himself as she whimpered in her dreams. 

Gage woke up some hours later, hot and covered in sweat, full on erection pushing against his pants. He had been dreaming of her, of that kiss but of more. Him pulling her closer to him to grind his hips against hers, hearing her moan against his mouth as he pushed his hand into her pants and she rubbed herself against his palm. He groaned out loud, and nearly jumped when he heard her move. She was by his side in a moment.

“Gage! Are you hurting?” She asked, worried. 

He shifted his legs so that his erection was hidden. “No, Boss. Let’s get out of here, probably nearly morning by now.”

She nodded at him, hiding her face from view. “I got nearly everything packed already, just need to get dressed and we can head out. I don’t think I can eat anything, yet.”

Gage groaned again as he sat up, helping her to get the bedrolls in. Both were injured and in pain but ready to get back to talk to Mason and eventually, back home. Gage tried to push the thought about getting her in her bed, laying down beside her as he held her close. It did nothing to help with his erection. 

Slowly, they began to move, being as stealthy as possible to avoid more of the gatorclaws. Thankfully they didn’t run into any and headed out of the park. They were both quiet, Gage noted Nora wasn’t even humming to herself.  
It seemed like it took days but they got to the amphitheater where Mason and his Pack lived at by midmorning. Gage watched Nora take a big breath, set her shoulders, and open the door. She walked quickly to the stage where the Alpha sat, standing directly in front of him. Gage followed and stood just behind her to her left. 

“Hello, Alpha. How are you today?”

Mason snarled but answered, “Just fine, Boss. Seeing as each other gang as a territory but not me, just fucking great.”

Gage pushed down his anger and Nora just sighed. “I know, Alpha. It wasn’t an insult. It is what I came here to talk to you about.”

“I’m listening,” Mason looked up, interested. 

“I wanted to give you Safari, for obvious reasons.” Mason nodded, Nora went on. “We went to clear it yesterday and hit a bit of a snafu. Look, we tried. Look at me and Gage, we got fucked up. There was some scientist that made this alligator deathclaw hybrids. We managed to shut off the cloning machine that was making them, there were twenty five in the park.” She looked back at Gage. “How many are left?”

Gage stepped up beside her, staring down Mason. “Twenty five originally, there are six left. We got the rest of them.”

Mason had his hand on his chin, thinking. Nora continued on. “That is why I didn’t raise the flag yet. The park is yours and you can put a flag up, but I wanted to warn you so you didn’t walk into an ambush. I can help you with explosives, ammo, if you need it to help. I believe with your gang you guys can easily finish clearing it, but you just needed to know before you went in there.”

Mason was staring at Nora with a look that Gage didn’t like. “You mean to tell me that you wanted to make sure we were safe before we just scurried in there?” Mason asked softly. 

Nora nodded. “Wouldn’t be right to let you or your Pack get hurt if I could warn you first.”

Mason smiled at Nora. “You are one hell of a woman. And an Overboss. I was fucking ready to tear you a new one but I am also one to admit when I was wrong. I appreciate this, thank you for looking out for us. I will get a team ready to get it taken care of.”

Nora gave him a smile. “Let me know if you need anything. Seriously, these things are fucking wicked.”

Mason stood and walked to Nora, and Gage’s teeth started grinding. Mason took a hand and cupped her cheek and Gage felt sick when Nora flinched away from him. Mason just looked at her. “Hell of a woman. Good day, Boss, get some rest.”

Nora turned on her heel and nodded to Gage, and he breathed a sigh of relief as they finally headed to Fizztop.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gage and Nora enjoy a night off, smut incoming in the chapter. Not a ton of it, it HAS been a while since Gage has gotten laid. More to come (heh)! Also mentions of past eating disorder/ issues with disordered eating. It is very brief but just wanted to mention it.

Gage was relieved when they finally made it back to Fizztop. Three parks cleared, one for each gang. Now they could rest for a while. Nurse their injuries, eat hot food, maybe he could get to know his overboss a little better. Maybe after a few beers she would crawl on him again…

No. He pushed it out. The kiss was a mistake and it couldn’t happen again. But when they got to the top of the loft he groaned in pleasure as he took off his armor and flung himself in a large chair. He was more surprised when she walked over and helped him get his boots off. “You ain’t gotta do that, Boss.”

“I know. But you are worse off than me right now, it’s fine.”

She took off her own armor but before taking off her shoes, she grabbed a small pack and filled it with caps. “I am going to go to the diner and get us some food before I get too comfortable. I want a hot meal.” Gage nodded and rested his head back in the chair. He heard the lift go down, and after some time it came back up. He peeked an eye to make sure it was her, and it was. She had paper bags with food and he noticed the bag of caps was empty. “You buy everything in the diner, Boss?”

She looked at him, confused. Fuck, even her confusion was cute. “No, I got us a couple of brahmin steaks and whatever veggies they had. Some other food for later,” she shrugged, bringing him a steak and some random other foods on a plate. He nearly moaned at the sweet domesticated look of it. 

He pressed on. “Where did all your caps go?”

She didn’t look up as she readied her own food and took off her boots, changing her clothes into something not covered in sweat and blood. Gage suddenly felt self conscious, but ignored it, waiting for an answer. “The diner was alright but some things were in poor condition. Food safety is important, can’t have people getting sick. I set the slaves up there to get some new equipment.”

“Can’t let the raiders see you just giving things to slaves, Boss,” Gage warned. 

“I didn’t just give anything to slaves, I gave them funds to better the business, which would help us in the end. If someone got sick due to cross contamination, the whole place would get sick and I can’t have a park of raiders pissing out their ass,” she pointed out, shoving a piece of steak in her mouth while saying it. 

They sat for a while, eating. Gage noticed she didn’t eat much. She moved the food around and did actions to make it look like she was eating, but few bites made it to her mouth. “If I have to pry your mouth open and shove that food down your throat, Boss, I will,” Gage threatened. 

“I’m not that hungry. I’ll eat more later.”

“You say that a lot, and then later comes and you don’t eat. I don’t understand why forcing you to eat is such a fucking task. Every other person in this world is starving, and eats no matter what is in front of them. You? You just pick and nibble,” Gage observed. He expected her to argue, to tell him to fuck off, but she didn’t. She just set her fork down and looked out the window. 

“It’s hard to eat.”

“Boss, how is it hard to do something that every human needs to survive? Come on, I just want to know what is going on in that head of yours.” His voice softened. 

“Before… before. Ya know, the bombs, when I was with my husband, I… I was the size I am now, maybe a bit bigger. He wasn’t a fan of how I looked, and could be so cruel about it. It just became a natural thing for me, eat less. The less I ate the happier he was. He wanted me to be beautiful and sexy, things I never was. I tried. Then when he came back from the war and became so… violent… it got worse. Eating is just such a chore for me, now.” she slowly spit out. 

Gage was confused. Who would tell someone, especially their woman, not to eat? Eating was survival. People didn’t just choose to not eat. This man, her husband, was a right prick. Nora wasn’t a bad person, wasn’t a bad partner, yet he treated her like shit. And where was she getting this shit about not being beautiful, sexy? Did she look at herself at all? When she did look at herself, what did she see?

“Boss, then do it for me. I need you healthy, to take care of things here. Strong. I need you to eat for me,” he said. 

She gave him a sweet smile. “I can try that.” She picked up a fork and he watched as she slowly ate more food. He noticed she still didn’t eat enough, but it was a start. He really hated her husband. 

They sat in silence, drinking beers and eating, smoking cigarettes. It was nice, Gage thought, nice to just sit. The past few days were exhausting, and it was nice to just sit here with her, even in silence. 

When they had a few beers in them, Gage got up the nerve to ask what had been bothering him. Well, besides that damn kiss. “So, Boss, did you really blow up the Brotherhood?”

“Yup. Just like I blew up the Institute.”

“Because they were bigots? What did you mean by that, that they were different bigots than what you were used to?”

She lit another smoke, looking him in the eye. “Before the bomb and the world ended, there was just as much hate and hurt as there is now. It was just different. Honestly, some things are better now. I am happier than I was. Before the bomb, people were treated poorly for the color of their skin. Anyone who wasn’t white was beaten, killed, arrested by cops and thrown in jail.” She took another deep drag and kept talking. “Before, you couldn’t love who you wanted. Only men and women could be together, and even then it was based on class. I had to marry someone my father approved of, which ended up being that piece of shit. He had money which was all my parents cared about, because that was all the daughters and women were, a way for men to make money and go up the social ladder.” 

Gage couldn’t imagine a world. Sure, these days were rough but no one cared about skin color and pretty much everyone usually swung both ways when it came to gender. The last overboss had been into men and no one batted an eye. He couldn’t imagine a world where anyone cared about who you fucked. 

“Some things were better then. We didn’t have to worry about a safe place to sleep or where we would get food. Well, at least until before the war. After that we got rations but with my husband being in the military we didn’t have to worry about shortages.” She felt a pang of guilt, remembering driving her nice car down to the store to get their extra rations while she was pregnant, and watching her neighbors stand in line for free bread. 

She took another drink of beer, and Gage found himself trying to imagine this world but his mind was drawing a blank. “That was around when Nate started being physically abusive. My neighbor, her husband had died and without him she was getting almost no rations. We were getting extra cause I was breastfeeding. We had more than enough. I took some rations to her, just some bread and cheese and some pieces of meat. Nate found out later and punched me until I was unconscious. I didn’t even see it coming. He would scream at me, yell at me, but after Shaun was born…” she sighed and looked out the window. Gage wanted to take her in his arms. “Yeah, in a lot of ways I prefer this time to back then.”

She got up and got them both another beer, and Gage noticed this time when she sat down she chose the chair next to his instead of across the table. He focused on his beer when he barely heard her say, “Are we gonna talk about it?”

“Talk about what, Boss?” He knew, just wanted her to say it. 

“That kiss.”

“What about it, Boss?” He couldn’t get a read on her face at all. 

“Did you… do you regret it?” she whispered. 

“No. I should, but I don’t. Not gonna lie, I have thought about it a few times since you been here,” He couldn’t believe that he was telling her this, the beer and exhaustion must have been taking its toll. 

Her eyes popped up to look into his. “I didn’t think I was your type.”

He laughed. “What do you know about my type? What do you think my type is?”

She looked thoughtful. Adorable. “Like, sexy and beautiful. Strong and hard edged. Skinny and just all around gorgeous.”

“What makes you think you aren’t those things?”

“Come on, Gage. Look at me. It’s okay, I know how I look. It isn’t some big secret,” she laughed. 

“See, Boss, I don’t think you know at all how you look. Maybe your husband just got you fucked up or something, but you are all of those things and more,” Gage said. 

Nora stood to find an ashtray. “If that is what you think, you must have real low standards.” 

Gage growled in return, and when she walked in front of him he grabbed her by the waist, pulling her close. “No, Boss. I got high fucking standards. I would rather not fuck for the rest of my life than settle for something I don’t want just to get off.” She wasn’t moving away from him, twisting his hands away, so he pulled her in closer. She looked like she was thinking about it then finally Gage was able to pull her into his lap, her legs hanging off the side of the chair. 

He let his hands wander up the sides of her body, past her breasts, to her shoulders and just held them there, kneading. She was looking down at his chest, playing with his tank top. He reached a hand up to pull her to meet his eye when she flinched away. “Hey, now. None of that. I would never hurt you.” 

She chuckled. “I mean, you are a raider.”

He tilted his head to the side. “So fucking what? Not all raiders are pieces of shit, you should be learning this by now. There are bad people in every group that people run with. Minutemen have fucking rapists in their rank, and the Brotherhood of Steel have murderers.”

“Brotherhood of Steel is a bad example, not a one of them is good.”

“Fair point.” Gage tilted her head to look at him, and he moved her closer. “You got this hangup about raiders but you need to remember, you are a raider, too.” She met his eyes finally and he couldn’t read what was going on there. Then with no warning she pressed her lips against his. This time, he responded more. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close so her chest was pressed against his. He deepened the kiss immediately, his mouth hungry and wanting more. When he ran his tongue against the seam of her lips she moaned and that was it, he was done for. He wanted her to make more of those noises. He took her shirt by the bottom of it and pulled it up over her head, watching her injury. His own shoulder and side were hurting but the stimpacks were doing their job and nothing was going to get in his way right now. He pulled his own shirt off with her help and it was his turn to moan as she gently ran her fingers over his chest, his abdomen, drawing along the lines of his muscles. He felt a sense of pride at her noises of appreciation. 

Gage leaned forward a bit, not breaking the kiss, and pulled her close so that her legs were wrapped around him. In one fluid movement he stood up, carrying them across the room to her bed. Had he ever carried a woman like this? He couldn’t think of a time. He didn’t want to rush but he also wanted to see her naked. Nora bit her lip as he set her down. 

Nora was doing her best to fight her own insecurity. As soon as he took her shirt off she got nervous. She was scared that he would see her naked and laugh then leave. But he wasn’t, he carried her across the room like she weighed nothing and set her down gently, and was carefully pulling her boots and pants off. Once hers were off he set to work on his own. Suddenly self conscious, she grabbed a blanket to cover herself, holding her arms over her stomach where the soft, stretched, stretchmarked skin was at its worst. 

Gage just growled, and crawled towards her on the bed on his knees. He reached forward, looking into her eyes, and snatched the blanket away. She tried to distract him. “Hey, Gage, we should turn the lights off.”

He was kissing her neck, running his tongue over her pulse. Without stopping he grunted, “Why?”

She really didn’t want to have to say it. It was just an unspoken thing, you don’t talk about why you have sex with the lights off. “Just, you know. It’s better.”

“For who? I want to see you, want to see your face when I make you come,” he said, his hand going down to play with her nipple, gently rolling it between his fingers. 

That made the heated coil between her legs grow and ache. That confidence. Jokingly she said, “You know, this way you can pretend I’m someone else while you get laid.”

This made him look up at her but kept his hand on her nipple. “Nah, ain’t no one else I want right now.” He leaned down and took her nipple into his mouth, pulling gently with his teeth. 

Nora’s back arched against him as she gasped. Gage came up and gave her another kiss on her lips and said, “I wish you could see what I see, when I see you.”

At that, Nora melted. Damn, she wished she could see that, too. He trailed kisses down her throat, down her chest. Stopping at each nipple he sucked for only a moment, then continued down. When he got to the skin on her stomach, Nora squirmed. “No, don’t do that.”

Gage stopped where he was, and looked up at her. “I think you are gonna want me to keep going.”

Nora didn’t want to admit it, didn’t want to show weakness. “Just, not there.”

He pressed his palm against her stomach. “Here?” She nodded. 

He kissed her stomach over and over, from one side to another. “Now, Boss, I am all about you only doing what you want but this time I am making a special exception. I don’t know why this has you all insecure, but I love it. It’s soft,” he said in between kisses. 

He kept going down past her belly button to the spot where the pile of curls started. He moved back on the bed so his head was in between her legs. Gently, with a stroke of the tongue, he gave her one lick up the slit and her hips arched right off the best. He chuckled, and used his forearms on the inside of her thighs to hold her in place, using his thumb to hold back the hood and open her up in front of him. 

“Gage, what are you going?” She hadn’t done this that often, and the few times she had she didn’t like it. Made her feel too vulnerable. He looked up at her and all she could do was stare back. He smirked and delivered another long lick from her entrance up to her clit, getting into all the wet folds there. She couldn’t help the moan that escaped as he licked her clit. 

He pressed his tongue on her clit, running circles around it with the tip. If he hadn’t been holding her down she would have been arching off the bed. She was trying to keep quiet, she didn’t want to come off as weak or pitiful. When he stuck a finger into her entrance she brought an arm up over her mouth. 

“Now, Boss, none of that shit. I want to hear you.”

“Nora.”

“What’s that?” He looked up from what he was doing.

“Call me Nora.”

He smiled at her and set his tongue back to work as he gently fucked her with his finger, adding another one. “You got it.” He was good at it, she would give him that. His fingers hit that patch of nerves inside her and his tongue on her clit, in no time at all her toes curled as an orgasm ripped through her. He didn’t stop, but groaned as her pussy tightened around his fingers, squeezing him. 

He pulled his fingers out and licked them, then started crawling back up to her, stopping at each breast to give a nipple a lick. With each touch Nora was shaking, jerking away from him. Her body felt almost electric. The orgasm had been powerful but she felt empty, she needed more. He held himself over her, propped on his elbows with his hands by her face. Almost shy again, she leaned up to kiss him on the corner of the mouth. He smiled down at her. 

Gage was over Nora and couldn’t believe she was under him. Her orgasm had come out of nowhere but had almost sent him over the edge when he felt it. She got so wet and he couldn’t wait to see what she felt like on his cock. He looked down at her and gave her a kiss. “You want to do this?” He had to make sure, make sure she didn’t suddenly change her mind. 

She nodded. “Yes.” it came out on a breathy moan, and she hitched her legs up so her knees were at his hips. He kissed her again and took his cock in his hand, lining it up with her entrance. Hands back to beside her head, he took her mouth into his when he pushed into her. Slowly, inch by inch. His size could be a bit much sometimes so he went slowly, feeling her stretch around him, pulling him in. He was finally seated inside her. 

“Fuck.” it came out a breathy moan. He began to slowly thrust with deep and long strokes. He looked down at her, and her eyes were squinted shut as she moaned out. Continuing with the slow and deep thrusts he put a hand on her cheek. “Nora. Look at me.”

“What?”

“Nora, look at me. Open your eyes, I want to see you.”

She hesitated and between moans she said, “I’ve never done that before.”

He pressed a kiss to her jaw, scraping his teeth against the spot and smiling at the soft moan that came from her mouth. “Look at me, Nora.” He demanded this time. 

Slowly, she opened her eyes. Those beautiful hazel eyes that when connected to his he saw lust but also, fear. Why would looking at him make her fearful. He kept the eye contact as he thrust harder, a little bit faster. He watched her face as she got closer to her second orgasm. 

He wasn’t going to last very long, it had been a while. When she moaned out his name, “Porter,” he very nearly lost it. Groaning, he started fucking her harder, the sound of wet skin against wet skin in the background of her moans. Then, he felt it. Suddenly she got very wet and she tightened around his cock like a vice. This time she was screaming his name, and that sent him over. 

Her name on his lips like a prayer, he pumped into her as he came. Out of breath he just laid on top of her, and felt himself growing soft in her. He didn’t want to move. Her arms and legs were still wrapped tight around him, holding him close. His face was pressed into her hair and it smelled like soap and gunpowder. He lifted his head up slightly and placed a kiss on her cheek, the corner of her mouth, her lips. He had to finally move so he shifted, pulling himself up and beside her. Reaching over to the end table, he lit them both a smoke and handed her one. 

She laid on her side, head propped on her elbow, staring off past his shoulders. Finally she said, “Well. I wasn’t expecting that when I came here.”

He chuckled. “To Nuka-World? What were you expecting?”

“To die. I knew I would be killed, or I was going to kill myself. When I heard the advertisement on the radio I was about to kill myself but I decided to check it out. Thought hey, could be a cool place to blow my head off and I was curious what was here.”

Gage stared at her. She said it so calmly, so matter of factly. So that comment about her blowing her brains out on the first day wasn’t a joke. “What made you decide not to?”

“I’m just postponing it. You needed help, and I didn’t want to see anyone else get killed because of me.”

“Nora…” he started. He didn’t know what to say. She just shrugged. 

“So, where do you come from?” She asked. Gage let her change the subject. She hadn’t been reckless, running into situations with a death wish. He would work on that thought with her another time. 

“Not from here, far away.”

She giggled. “I can tell with that accent. Let me guess, parents are raiders? It’s in the blood for you, ain’t it?”

He chuckled. “Believe it or not, my parents were settlers. Nice enough people but real fucking pushovers. Every time the raiders showed up my dad would just hand them whatever they wanted. One night they are uh, doing things to my mom in front of him, and I was hiding under the table. He didn’t fight them or anything. That was when I knew I didn’t want to live like this. Packed my shit and left. I was what, twelve? Didn’t matter, I knew how the world worked.” He gave her a smile as she laid down next to him, head on his chest and her fingers curling around him. 

“Start taking random jobs, caravans and merc shit. Ended up with some raiders a few years later, it was where I was always heading.” Absently, he started stroking her hair as he talked. “Started running with this crew, Overboss called the Harvester or some shit. Dumb ass name, never as intimidating as he expected.” He smiled at her giggle. “I started becoming his right hand man, giving him info and shit. I was sixteen and thought I was hot shit. Well, that didn’t last too long.”

“What did he do?”

“Set me up. Wanted me to handle these peace negotiations between these raider gangs and this dude is starting to come around when we hear gunfire and yelling. I’m thinking to myself “oh shit, Connor is gonna have to come bail us out’. I realized after some time that I had been set up. Connor realized he got everything out of me he needed and was killing two raiders with one stone.”

He looked down at her and her eyes were wide. He rubbed a hand against her cheek. “I got out, obviously. I got injured pretty bad, they shot my eye. Stimpack saved the eyeball but not my sight. So I holed up in a rundown house while I got myself together and decided never to be that dumb again. This was in the Texas Republic, I started making my way up here, working with raider gangs. Ended up here with Colter and then I met you.” He smiled down at her and he was pleased when she smiled back. He settled back as she laid her head on his chest again. “What about you? You told me about the vault and your old man and kid, but what else have you been doing in this world?”

She made a humming noise like she was thinking. “Before the bombs I was altruistic. Helped everyone. For a while in this world I tried to be that way. Helped everyone I came across that asked. Sometimes it was okay, really desperate people at their wit’s end. So often I was just being used. I tried to help the minutemen establish settlements but fuck, they wanted me and me alone to do everything. Go clear out the raiders or super mutants, build everything, make their beds, plant their crops, get their goddamn water. It was exhausting. Did that twice then I told Garvey to fuck off. He never asked me how I was doing, every time I saw him it was, “Another settlement needs you, go here,” and like fuck, man. So I started running with this dude, MacReady. Former gunner, no bullshit type.” She smiled at the memory and Gage didn’t like that. Who the fuck is this MacReady? He remembered that she isn’t his to get jealous over. 

“Started having some real fun. Just, killing and shit. Spent a lot of time in Goodneighbor with Hancock, the ghoul mayor, too. One day MacReady opens up about needing to kill his former gunner bosses and I am down for that, hate those fuckers. We blow them to hell and he starts telling me about feelings and his life and shit. I let myself get swept away in it all. He was there with me when I went to the Glowing Sea, he was there when I had to kill my son after finding out the monster he was. He was there with me for the Brotherhood. Then he tells me about his wife and kid. I’m like, ‘fuck he’s married? What a shit’ but his kid is sick, needs this cure. So we go get it so he can send it to his kid. I couldn’t let myself continue to feel for him. He has a wife, and he needs to get back to his family.” She swallowed back the tears that threatened to fall. 

“He told me later in the night, before we left for the cure, that his wife was dead. Killed by ferals but he saved his son. I felt like an asshole for thinking he was this piece of shit that was happily fucking me while his wife and son waited for him in some home down south. But I needed to cut ties with him. I betrayed and destroyed everything I was. He deserved better. He deserved a lovely woman that didn’t kill her own child. I am a garbage person. After I left him was when I went to kill myself like I told you before. And then I met you.” She smiled as she finished the story as he did his. 

Gage had no idea what to say. He reached up and wiped the tear off her cheek. “I’m sorry, Boss.”

She smirked at him. “Don’t apologize, it's weak, remember?”

He smiled at her. “For you, I will make an exception. You make me weak in all the best ways.” She hummed and they lay in silence, listening to the park coming to life at night. They both drifted off to sleep and Gage hadn’t remembered the last time he had slept like this with a woman, if he ever had.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora finds out that some shit is going on in the wealth and she makes a plan with the raiders to take care of it. Gage tells her a story about the NCR. (Anyone who has played fallout NV would recognize the lore, the raider boss that everyone took pleasure in killing. If you don't know it, watch Oxhorn's youtube video on the Cook-Cook raider leader. He did an excellent job with that one.) Nora has trouble dealing with her emotions and Gage uses grunts to get his point across.

The next morning they awoke in each other’s arms. Nora smiled as she got up and Gage followed. They sat around for a while, then Nora started working on adding a mod to her shotgun. Forgetting she was wearing barely more than underwear and a tank top as she cursed under her breath, trying to get the mod to work. She needed it to reload faster. She looked over at Gage, sitting in a chair and cleaning his own rifle. She was about to plead for help when they heard the lift come up. 

Gage was out of his chair in a moment, rifle at the ready to shoot the person who came up. Nora tried her best to maintain an air of cool. Finally, Mason’s head and figure popped up and he stepped into the loft. “Hey, Overboss.”

Gage relaxed and lowered his gun, but Nora still stood defiantly. “What is it, Alpha?”

Mason stepped over to the bar, getting too close for her comfort. “Expecting me? Gotta say, I am enjoying the view up here.” Nora ignored the discomfort that made her feel and didn’t let it show. 

“What do you want, Mason?” Gage asked behind her. 

“Just giving an update. We got a team in working on the gatorclaws in Safari, gonna be moving in soon. But we got another problem you should know about,” Mason pointed. 

Nora stiffened. “Fucking what now?”

Mason sighed. “We been sending groups out in the Commonwealth for work, bringing in supplies and traders and shit. Gunners have been moving in on us, taking us out. It is getting to be a real problem, Boss.”

Nora sighed. “Yeah, when I came in on the monorail there were a group of gunners trying to do recon, I ended up taking them out but they are like vermin.” Nora looked over at Gage. “What do you think?”

She couldn’t read the look on his face but he said, “We need to protect what’s ours. Might be time to get out there and pick some of them off. Each gang as a territory now, the last two can wait until this is done. We can’t let them kill us off.”

Nora nodded. “Thank you for letting me know, Mason. I am going to mull this over. Let the other leaders know I want to have a meeting with them this afternoon. We will get this taken care of.” Mason didn’t move or turn away. “Goodbye, Mason.”

He stared at her for another moment, looking her up and down with lust. After some time he turned away. “Have a nice day, Boss.” He turned and smiled at her as he stood on the lift, pushing the button to go down. “Looking forward to seeing you later.”  
Once Mason was out of view, Nora let herself relax. She turned to Gage. “What should I do?” She was suddenly so unsure of herself, should she send them into the Commonwealth to dispatch the gunners? It wouldn’t be the first time she took down gunners, but this could end up meaning a full on war with the group. 

“Nora, you ever heard of the fiends?” Gage asked. Nora shook her head. “There is a reason you haven’t. They were the raiders running the New California Republic. Sick fucks, made the Disciples look like pansies. There was this leader named Cook-Cook. Sounds like a wacky ass name until you discover why he was called that. Dude liked his flamethrower. And he liked rapin’. Sometimes he even left his rape victims alive, just burning them beyond recognition. Rumor had it he was a cannibal, too. Other raider gangs tolerated him like we did most sick raiders but he just took it too far. He was in the slave trade, and was kidnapping little girls to sell.” Nora watched Gage’s fists clench and his jaw twitch. “Little girls, Nora. He paid a lot of money for them, too. Took them from their families, usually killing the rest of them.”

Nora was frozen in place as Gage walked over to her and stood up against her. She had to tilt her head back to look into his eyes. The look on his face was pure rage but his voice was soft. “You want to know what we did to that piece of shit?” Nora could only nod. “Bunch of raiders got together and we killed off each of his leaders that he worked with, and all of his gang. When we got to Cook-Cook, we tied him to a wooden post and burned him with his flamethrower. Then we would heal him with stimpacks. Then do it all over again. We kept doing this for almost two weeks, until he was finally killed by the infection.” 

Nora looked down at her feet and Gage took hold of her chin almost sweetly, lifting her to look at him again. “You have this idea about raiders that come from your own prejudice. We put Cook-Cook’s head on a spike in front of the brothel where he tortured women. You have this idea in your head that the world is black and white, good guys and bad guys. Yes, we kill and steal. So do the minutemen, the brotherhood. Everyone kills and lives according to their own moral code. You think you understand raiders, but you don’t. These people are fiercely loyal, and if you do right by them, they will follow your lead to their own death.”

Gage’s hand dropped to his side. “So what are you going to do?”

Nora steeled herself. “We will take down these gunners. I can’t have my people being picked off by some bloodthirsty assholes, especially over stupid territory.” 

Gage smiled at her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Attagirl.”

Gage did his best to ignore the feelings of pride he was growing towards Nora. She was powerful and strong, but soft and kind. The latter tended to turn Gage away but with her, her strength came from her kindness. He had never dealt with anyone like this before. Not to mention she was fucking organized. She had found a large sheet and stretched it out on the floor, and used her PIP-boy to mark areas on the sheet, making a large map. Most other raider overbosses would just charge in guns blazing and fuck if they lost anyone. Nora was wanting to minimize casualties on their side. 

She turned to him, wringing her hands. The leaders would be here soon. “What if they don’t like my plan?”

He grunted. “Tough shit. You’re the boss.”

She gave him a smart ass smile. “I bet Mason would like any plan I come up with.”

He growled, pulling her into his side. “Keep Mason at arm’s length, or else.”

“Or else what?”

He was about to tell her when they heard the lift and she jumped from his side. He was disappointed, but it was probably smart to keep up appearances that they weren’t together for a while. Wait, were they together? Shit, he hadn’t even considered that. Where did they stand? Gage contemplated this while the leaders shuffled in, taking seats around the sheet map on the floor. He reminded himself that they were just fucking, nothing more. Everything they shared together, none of it meant anything. They just had each other’s backs, save each other’s lives, fuck each other’s brains out, talk all night…. Shit. No. They weren’t together, they couldn’t be. She would never want to be tied down to a man like him. 

Gage’s thoughts were interrupted when Nora addressed the group. “Thank you all for making the time to come on short notice but as you are already aware, this is an emergency.” The group nodded, attention rapt on her. “I know I promised to clear all the parks but this takes precedence. Each of you now have an extra territory to stretch out to, so now is a good time to take down those who want to fuck with us.” 

Mason smiled up at her and Gage snarled. Nora continued. “Here is a map, exactly from my PIP-boy just bigger to scale. I want each of you to tell me everything you know about locations, numbers of gunners, settlements, anything. And we will go out there and kill every last one of them. I will not lose more of my people to those fucks.”

Nisha spoke up first. “There is a large group at the Mass-Pike Interchange, with two leaders stationed there.”

Nora shook her head. “I took care of them months ago with a mercenary, Barnes and something or other.” Nisha looked almost appreciatively at the overboss. 

Over the next hour, everyone chipped in about what locations they knew of. After some time Nora had a general understanding of what they were up against. She looked at the map silently then said, “If we move into the Commonwealth and split into two teams, one heading northeast and one heading southeast, we can take out each small group before they can regroup. As they are killed off they will run back, and we can hit them again.”

All the leaders nodded. Mags Black looked curiously at the boss and asked, “Will you be coming?”

Nora nodded. “I have some excellent relationships with quite a few places in the Commonwealth. We can use those relationships for shelter, resources, things of that nature. Let’s begin a mapping of this and you all can start getting your teams together, who you want to stay and who you want to go.”

After another few hours the attack was meticulously planned and calculated. Each gang and leader was clear on their instructions and what to do, as well as places to rest, regroup, and restock. Nora gave the leaders two days to get everything they needed together. They seemed surprised that she gave them that long. William Black said, “Colter would have said we had to leave in two hours.”

Nora stuck her chin out. “I’m not Colter. I want minimal casualties, I want this done properly. If any of you need anything please let me know. You are all dismissed.”

Without a sound they all left down the lift, leaving Gage with her. Once they were alone again he pulled her against him. “You did good, Boss. Real good.”

She let out a breath like she had been holding it the whole time. “This isn’t the first time I am going into destroy a large group but it is usually me and one other. I have never been responsible for this many before.”

“You are doing real good, Boss,” he encouraged. “Better than many other overbosses. Hell, most of them would tell the gangs to deal with it on their own. Maybe raiders need a level of empathy from someone. You got me questioning my own morals.” 

She was standing at the bar, hands still wringing. He pulled her closer, put a hand on her wrists. “I ain’t bullshitting you. I’m being honest. If you were fucking up, I’d tell you. If you fuck up I’m dead, too, remember?” 

She gave him one of those sweet smiles that gave him… what the fuck were those butterflies? He felt a sudden disgust with himself. Why was he letting himself get swept away by this woman? She leaned into him and stood on her toes to give him a kiss, and he pushed down on her. He pushed her back against the bar, arms on either side trapping her as he devoured his mouth with hers. 

Part of him wanted to be sweet and soft with her, to hold her and kiss her. But another part of his brain was at war with those feelings and he overcompensated. Reaching up to grab a handful of her hair, he yanked her head back, bringing her face further up to him. She tried to yelp but his mouth was still on hers. Her hands were balled up against his chest and he expected her to push him away, to tell him to fuck off, not be so rough, but she didn’t. Her body melted and let him pull and scratch and bite. 

When his teeth scraped against her jaw and she moaned, Gage couldn’t take it anymore. He had to take her now, and hard. He needed to prove to himself, to show her, that this was nothing more than just fucking. Last time was nice for her but now he wanted it his way. What was his way? Did he want to fuck like this? His hard cock pushing against his jeans told him he did. 

She didn’t fight him or push him off. If she had given any sign or told him no he would stop immediately. He was an asshole, not a rapist. But she didn’t, she let him mold her with his nails and teeth as he scraped marks down her neck, down her sides. Unable to take it anymore he ripped her tank top off and set to work on pushing her pants down. Once her boots and pants were pulled off he leaned in to kiss her and got a look of her face and his heart almost skipped a beat. She actually looked scared of him. There was lust, but there was also fear. But she wasn’t telling him no, so he grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around, her back facing him as he pushed her bent over the bar. 

Not one to be a total jerk, he ran a finger up her slit to see if she was ready for him. She was a little wet, but not enough. Holding one shoulder with one hand, holding her bent over, he used his other calloused fingers to rub on her clit, harder and rougher than he should have. She let out a soft whimper and he shoved a finger inside of her. She went up on her toes, pushing her ass against his hand, those soft yelps and whimpers going right to his cock. 

“You are just fucking begging for my cock, aren’t you, Nora?” He said, voice low and gravelly. He got a special thrill calling her by her name. That was for special times, just between them, times like this. He pulled his hand away from her cunt and pumped his erection a few times, lining up against her entrance. One hand on her shoulder still, he let her feel the tip of his cock against her and waited for any sign that she didn’t want to, but she didn’t move. She was rigidly still. 

Hard and fast, he buried himself in her to his balls. Sitting there for a moment, completely sheathed in her, he groaned out. “Fuck, Nora.” She shuddered against him, her walls tightening around him. The tightening felt different, like a woman who was nervous or something. She wasn’t as wet and he would have liked still, so he pumped slow. Slowly pulling himself out, and slamming back into her hard. Taking a sick thrill to the sound of skin slapping skin, and her whimper every time he was fully seated in her. 

When he could start to feel her slick coating his cock, dripping to his balls, he started taking her faster. He went at a punishing pace, bending his knees to get further up in her. She finally started to moan, pushing back against him. “Fuck, Nora. Your ass feels so amazing against me,” he moaned out between thrusts. “I love how you feel on my cock.”

Increasing the pace, thrusting faster, he pulled on her shoulder, bringing her up so her back was against his chest. He planned to put a hand around her throat, see if she would be into that. Instead she had wrapped her arm around his neck and twisted her face, bringing him in for a kiss. He was fucking her hard and fast, but nearly melted when she reached back to hold him and bring him in for that kiss. His cock was fucking her hard, leaving her thighs and ass red from how he slammed into her, but the kiss she gave him was sweet. He returned it, and she sighed into his mouth. 

“Nora,” he moaned, barely above a whisper. 

He wrapped a hand around her to grab one of her breasts, and he pinched a nipple between his fingers. She arched her back, pushing her ass closer against him. All he could do was moan out her name as her pussy got tighter and tighter around his cock. He was getting close, but she hadn’t come yet. Leaving her breast, he brought his hand down to rub against her clit as he fucked her, other hand on her waist, holding her tight to him. He was rubbing her clit softly, and she reached a hand down over his, directing him to rub her harder, faster, matching with the pace of his cock. 

Suddenly she threw her head back against his shoulder and screamed, “Porter!” He had never heard a woman scream his name in such a sexy way anymore. Nearing his own end, his thrusts became more erratic as he buried himself in her growling out her name as he filled her with squirts of his own come. His breathing hitched as his one hand stayed on her waist and the other wrapped around her chest, holding her tight to him. His eyes were closed and nose pressed into her hair. He wanted them to stay like this, forever. He had tried to be rough, to be mean, and she had responded with her own sexy sweetness, so that it melded together perfectly. 

He needed to distance himself from her. He needed to stop all of this, but he absolutely could not. He was very fond of her and she stirred warm feelings of protectiveness and even made him feel possessive at times. She pushed off of him, and threw on a tank top and some underwear, not looking at him. It seemed like she was doing everything she could to not look at him. He grabbed her elbow and turned her to him, and the look on her face was still there. She had a small smile for him but now there was a light taste of fear, as well. Now, she feared he would hurt her. Gage cursed himself. She had told him of her past, about her husband, and there he went being rough with her. He tilted her chin to bring her face up and planted a kiss on her lips. A little bit of the fear melted away, but it was still there as she looked him in the eye. 

Nora laid next to Gage in her bed. He seemed like he was asleep, so she sat up. He shifted a little in his sleep, bringing a hand up to her back but his eyes remained closed. She got up on shaking feet, careful not to jostle the bed. Sitting on the edge with her feet on the floor, she clutched her sides and took a deep breath. 

Gage had scared her earlier. Like, really scared her. The sex ended up being good but he had been really rough and his touch reminded her of Nate’s. Deep inside of her, her mind went back to the other man who had been in her life, MacReady. The first man to touch her so gently that she nearly cried. Thinking of him alone and drinking, she dragged in a shuddered breath. She hoped he went back to the Capitol Wasteland to be with Duncan. Her leaving him was the best thing for him, he could be free and live with his child instead of following her pathetic ass around. 

Nora did her best to keep the tears from falling, but a sob escaped her. She felt a hand on the small of her back that made her jump. “Hey, you okay?”

Nora turned back to Gage and gave him a small smile. “Ha, yeah. Bad dream.” She looked at him and his eye was closed, still half asleep. She smiled that he still wore his eyepatch while in bed. 

Gage mumbled something then wrapped his arm around her, pulling her to him. “Come here, sweetheart. Go back to sleep.” Nora melted against him as he spooned her, kissing the back of her head and snuggling down against her. 

Nora’s heart hurt. How could she? She left MacReady for his own good, and here she was, shacking up with a raider. Gage has been good to her, except earlier when he got a bit rough but it panned out. She left a man she loved and jumped into the arms of another. A sob racked her chest and she tried to muffle it but Gage felt it and he pulled her closer to him. MacReady used to talk to her when she cried, when the pain of losing a husband and a son became too much to bear. Gage didn’t need to speak. His actions were more than enough. 

Would he always be here? What did he see them as? Nora’s mind raced as a hundred questions rushed her mind. Was this just a bit of fun for him? What if this was karma coming for her, for breaking MacReady’s heart? Gage’s breath on her neck pulled her back to sleep, drifting away from the questions she didn’t want answered. 

Nora woke up as light was breaking in the window, to an empty bed. Panic hit her for a moment until she heard Gage tinkering with his gun across the room. She sat up in the bed, “Morning.”

“Mornin’, Boss,” he grunted, not taking his eyes off the rifle in his lap. Nora got up and pulled clothes on and found some of the leftover food from the diner. She put food on a plate for him and gave it to him with a cup of instant coffee.

When she set the plate down Gage looked at it for a moment, then up at her. “Thanks.”

The gratitude surprised her but she didn’t show it. She shrugged and got her own plate, sitting on the floor across from him while she ate. “What should we do today?”

“Get ready for our trip out to the Commonwealth. Should go into the market and see the supply situation. If we don’t have enough for everyone we should plan to make a stop once we leave so we are prepared.”

Nora nodded and ate in silence, getting up to take their plates into the makeshift kitchen again. “If we make it out far enough, I should stop to get my power armor. Just so I have it here. I can use some of Colter’s shit to upgrade a few things.”

“Thought you didn’t like power armor,” Gage grunted. 

“I don’t, but it is good to have when you need it.” He nodded in response. 

Nora picked up some of her own armor and set to work fixing it. Clearing the parks had taken a toll on it, some of it was torn and damaged. They spent the morning quietly tinkering until Nora started to feel antsy from sitting in one place for so long. She pulled on boots, making a note to check the market to see if there were any in her size by this point, and put on her chest piece. Grabbing a bag and some caps, she turned to Gage. “I’m gonna go to the market, need anything?”

“I should come with you,” he pointed out. 

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

Gage was already pulling on boots and putting his yellow chest armor on. “That’s not how it works, you shouldn’t be seen wandering alone. Overboss always has their right hand with them.” He paused and looked at her, cupping her cheek with his hand. “Besides, I want to.”

Nora’s heart fluttered and she nodded. Punching the button on the lift, they headed down to the market together.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The raiders hed out to get rid of some gunners. Mason shows a level of understanding, and Nora has a blast from the past in Goodneighbor. These 2 emotionally stunted assholes start to come ti terms with those little human nuisances called "feelings".

The next couple of days seemed to fly by. Nora was nervous as all hell, so many lives were relying on her. She tried to let Gage’s encouragement soak into her but she couldn’t shake the feeling that he had too much faith in her, just like everyone else. The two teams had raiders from each gang in them. Gage was traveling with Nora and to Gage’s disappointment, Mason was with them with their team. The other team had William Black and Dixie, with Nisha and Mags holding back at Nuka World to keep everything together. 

The first few days went off in the Commonwealth without a hitch, and Nora did her best to not let it get to her head. The first regroup point for both teams would be at Covenant. They swept through the areas, taking out small groups of gunners with no real problem and no fatalities. Every time they won, Mason howling into the sky, Nora felt more anxious, more uneasy. It shouldn’t be this easy. This is too easy, can’t get complacent. To make matters worse, she was barely seeing Gage. Both of them were running back and forth with the team, making sure everyone was clear and well. After four days of near constant running and fighting with only small couple hour breaks, she was almost delirious with exhaustion. 

She never thought she would be so happy to see the gates of the little fortress that was Covenant. She had kept the turrets and locks on the gate. This was her settlement now, and she was glad she had decided to never share it with settlers. There were houses and beds, food and supplies. Everyone could get cleaned up and some decent sleep. Once she unlocked the gate and let everyone in, both raider teams, everyone looked apprehensive upon entering. 

She pointed out one house. “That one, there is a large bedroom with a bathroom upstairs. That is out of bounds, mine. Everywhere else is fair game. Go crazy, just don’t burn anything down.”

Mason and Gage walked up to Nora, jaws on the floor. “Overboss, this place is… what is this place?” Mason said in awe. 

“It was a settlement. I killed everyone in here, they were kidnapping and torturing anyone they thought was a synth. They were sick, and also very annoying,” she said and Mason just nodded and walked off to find a bed for himself. 

Gage put an arm around her waist and she immediately sank into it, not caring who saw them. “Really, Boss? You killed everyone here?”

“I told you, I don’t like bigots. These people were obsessed with pre-war, and they had that pre-war bigot mentality. The world doesn’t need people like that. Plus I got a nice little spot out of it. I’m glad I hung onto it, really coming in handy.” She looked up at him. “Wanna come relax with me?”

Gage looked around for a moment, and Nora noted that no one seemed to be paying them any attention. In fact everyone was looking at literally anything except them. Gage gave her side a quick squeeze and let her go. “Sure, Boss. Head on up there, I’m just gonna make sure everything is good down here.”

Nora nodded and headed up to her own little personal Sanctuary. Maybe it was mean to take a whole room to herself but she was overboss, and there were plenty of beds and room for bedrolls in the small town. She practically crawled up the stairs and got to the room, dropping her pack and armor on the way to the bathroom. At the tub, she turned on the water hoping there was at least some warm water. It came out almost lukewarm and that was more than enough for her. Letting the tub fill she eagerly undressed, peeling her boots and bloody socks where the new boots were rubbing several blisters raw, and peeled her sweat and dirt grimed clothes off. 

Grabbing a washcloth, she jumped into the tub, hissing as the water hit her blisters and sighing in relief as she sank into it. This was absolute and pure bliss, the best luxury she had in years. She let herself soak for a while, then used the washcloth to scrub her limbs and body of caked on blood and dirt. She was almost human again, almost a woman. At that thought, she heard a knock at the door and the door opening before her response. 

“Gage, that had better be you.”

“What if it wasn’t?” She heard Gage ask. She smiled. 

“Then I would have to kill someone and if I have to get out of this bath any time soon I am going to be very upset.” She looked down at the murky water, not very sexy. Oh well. Gage came in the bathroom and sat on a stool next to the tub, looking down at her. “This water was clear when I got in here, believe it or not.”

“Oh, I believe it.”

“You want to get cleaned up? I can get out.”

“Nah, enjoy yourself. I can get a bucket.”

“Gage, I should get out. Look at this water, I’m not getting any cleaner. I need to get out so my hair can dry, anyway.” She pulled the plug out of the tub and stood up, standing naked and dripping in front of him. “Can you stop gawking and hand me that towel?” He gave her a half smile and handed it to her. Without breaking eye contact, she wrapped the towel around herself. 

Bending over, she rinsed out the lines of dirt off the tub and set it to fill for him. “Come on, it’s not fancy. The water is cold but it is clean. You’ll feel better. Won’t you feel bad coming to bed tonight when I’m all clean and you are a garbage can?”

His eyes next went off of hers as he started to undress. Nora almost felt like he was teasing her. He let his eyes move down her body as he bent to pull off his own boots and the smile left his fact when he saw her feet. “What happened?”

Nora looked down to see that the blisters were still dripping clear fluid and some blood. “Oh, that’s no big deal. I have weird shaped feet so every time I get a new pair of shoes I get bad blisters until I break them in. Better than walking through shit with my boots taped together.”

Gage leaned over to grab her waist, pulling her to him. “You should have told me. You should have used a stimpack to heal them.”

“I am not wasting a stimpack on me for something this silly,” Nora insisted. 

Gage let go of her waist and stood, looking down at her while he unzipped his jeans and pushed them down. “I don’t like it when you are so stubborn you don’t take care of yourself.”

“They are just blisters, Gage,” she purred, and grabbed his arm to move him to the now full tub. “You should let me take care of you.”

He looked confused as he sat in the tub, not making the noises Nora had. She grabbed another washcloth off the rag pile and sat by his head, rubbing the cloth over his arms and shoulders. As soon as it touched him, he jumped. “What are you doing?”

Nora froze. “Do you want me to stop?”

“You don’t have to do this.”

“I want to.” She began washing him again, using the cloth to pour water over his head and wash his scalp and hair. “I don’t know why, but I want to. Maybe cause you take such good care of me.”

He didn’t say anything. She sat behind his head, leaning forward to scrub his shoulders. Reaching his chest, she leaned down, letting her hands trail down his stomach, leaning forward to kiss his neck and niddle on his earlobe. He didn’t move but the sharp intake of breath was enough to make Nora excited. She got up and moved the stool to the other end of the tub where his feet were. Gage hid them under water but Nora stuck her hand down to grab one. She washed the dirt off his feet, then gently massaged them both. Pressing her thumbs into his arches and pushing on the balls of his feet, Gage sunk down into the tub with a groan. 

“Gee, Gage, you act like you have never had a foot massage before,” Nora joked. 

“I haven’t. I shouldn’t like this but fuck that feels good. Rub on my heel again,” he groaned. Nora smiled as he closed his eyes, tilting his head back. He was letting himself relax for once, just enjoying a moment with her where he doesn’t have to protect her at every turn. Clean and rubbed she gently pecked a kiss at the end of each big toe and set them on the end of the tub. Gage was just staring at her. 

“Is this the kind of treatment your husband got?” It almost sounded sarcastic but his face was serious. 

Nora shook her head. “I would never have helped him bathe, let alone rub his fucking feet.” 

Gage sat forward in the tub, moving closer to her. “Then why do it for me?”

“Because I had a feeling a woman has never done something like this for you and I thought it would be nice to just treat you for a bit without expecting anything in return.” Nora planned on saying something snarky but the quiet truth fell from her lips. She stood up and got the other clean towel, standing by the tub with it. Gage got out and she wrapped the towel around his hips. Standing back and looking at him he looked like any bad boy she would have messed around with pre-war. She smiled while wringing out her hair, running her fingers through to get the massive knots out. 

Gage just watched her and she turned her back to finish drying off. She felt him behind her, his arms around her waist. She leaned into his touch. Suddenly the exhaustion hit her and her knees nearly buckled. He held her up. “Let’s get you into bed.”

She hummed. “You, too.” They shuffled over to the bed, collapsing with towels half hanging off of them. Gage pulled the blanket up over them, laying on his side facing her. Their arms and legs became a tangle as they got as close as possible, both passing out quick and hard. 

Gage woke up the next morning and nudged Nora awake. The sun would be up soon and they needed to get everything ready for the next march out. She looked up at him, her eyes half lidded and her hair a snarled mess from sleeping with it wet. A feeling filled his chest that he had never felt before, intense and almost sickening. She pecked him on the mouth and he held her close, not wanting to end the kiss. He had realized the night before that this was the first time they fell asleep wrapped together like this and didn’t have sex first. He was failing at being cold and distanced but he didn’t want to push her away anymore, and she wasn’t pushing him either. 

They got dressed and Gage watched Nora wince as she pulled on socks and boots. He shook his head. “Come on, at least wrap those up before you shove them in boots.” He chuckled as she sighed stubbornly, but took her feet out to wrap the blisters in gauze and duct tape to prevent further rubbing. Gage sat in a chair as he pulled on his armor and watched Nora shake out the sheets and make the bed. The domesticated look of it all had him wanting for something he never thought he would want. 

They headed downstairs to the kitchen, and a woman who looked to be from the Pack was making breakfast. Gage had to admit, it smelled good. The Pack member saw Gage and Nora and jumped, suddenly nervous. “Oh, I’m sorry I just… Well it has been a long time since I have seen a real kitchen and I… I really enjoy cooking. I made enough for everyone.”

Gage just grunted as he grabbed a handful of food but Nora smiled. “Thank you very much. What is your name?”

“Lisa.”

“Well, Lisa. This is much appreciated. Cooking is a talent not many have. Thank you for considering everyone.” The Pack member’s chest swelled with pride, and she went to the door to yell that breakfast was available for everyone. 

Gage nudged Nora. “You shouldn’t mother them, you need to be more hard.”

Nora looked at him with her lips set in a straight line. “It isn’t mothering, showing gratitude is an important trait in a leader. We may be raiders, but morale is still important. She didn’t have to cook for everyone, wasn’t asked, but took initiative and I appreciate it.”

Gage had to admit she was right. Raiders slowly shuffled in, grabbing plates or whatever was available, laughing as they shoved food in their mouth. Operators, Pack, and Disciples all together in a room, sharing a meal and not snarling at each other. He hadn’t seen it before. Mason suddenly came in and all the Pack members froze. His face paint was gone and he was cleaned up. 

“What is this?” Mason growled. 

Nora spoke up. “Lisa is very talented in the kitchen and took initiative to cook breakfast for everyone. Come grab a plate.” She handed a plate to him. He looked around at the different raider members mingling together. Lisa was looking down at her shoes. 

Finally Mason grabbed a handful of the radroach fried with some kind of veggie and asked, “Is there coffee?”

The room breathed a sigh of relief and Lisa immediately procured a cup for him. “Here, Alpha. Just made it.” She handed it to him with her head low, almost in a bow. Gage had to give it to Mason, he kept his gang in line very well with a good mix of fear and respect. He had half expected him to snarl and snap, forcing Pack members out but he didn’t. Everyone ate and Nora walked out of the kitchen, telling Lisa to pack up any leftovers and not to leave any food out where it could go bad. 

Gage followed Nora out of the house, both a cup of coffee in their hands. They sat on the porch together, watching the raiders gather their supplies for the next leave. The had a smoke together and Gage almost caught himself just enjoying this moment. Nora got up to talk to the different gangs, make sure everyone was set and no needs were being left unmet. Their next stop would be in Goodneighbor, at least close to it. Goodneighbor wouldn’t be able to take all of them at once so the leaders and a few others would stay inside and some would camp out in an alley right by the settlement. 

After everyone was fed and everyone was briefed, the group heading further south headed out with an agreement to meet again in a week in the alley Nora had marked on the map for them. William Black knew the Commonwealth well, as he grew up in Diamond City, so Nora had left him in charge of all the map duties. 

Watching the gang leave, Gage wrapped an arm around Nora’s waist. Looking down at her he said, “You ready to do this shit?”

She laughed. “Fuck no but we gotta. I’d rather stay in bed with you for the next week but alas, responsibilities.” He chuckled and they turned to gather their group when Gage saw Mason was right there. 

Gage turned to Nora. “I’m gonna go get everyone gathered and ready to go.” Looking at Mason, he pressed a kiss to Nora’s hair. Nora blushed and Mason snarled. He went inside and told the raiders to get the fuck ready to go. When he turned around and saw Mason and Nora, he growled. Mason’s hand was on her waist and he was entirely too close to her for Gage’s comfort. To his delight, Nora just smiled and brushed his hand off. Mason didn’t even get mad, he just laughed. 

Once all the raiders were set to go, they left and started heading northeast again. They didn’t have a gunner outpost to take until afternoon, and morale was high. Everyone was laughing with each other, sharing stories and talking about where they were from. Nora walked in the center of the group, and Gage hung at the back, behind everyone. To his dismay, Mason was walking next to him. 

“So, you and Nora, eh?” Mason said. 

“No idea what you’re talking about,” Gage mumbled. 

“Oh come on man, I ain’t stupid. Even the dumbest fucks in the gang can see it. I ain’t giving you a hard time, just wondering,” Mason said with half a smile on his face.   
“What’s it to you?” Gage was wondering where Mason was going with this. Was he going to try to exploit it? 

“I dunno, I have had a hard on for her since she became overboss. Like I said before, hell of a woman. And that fucking body, goddamn,” Mason said, making Gage growl. Mason just laughed. “See what I mean? I talk about that nice thick ass of hers that anyone and everyone watches and you snarl like a wolf defending his mate.” Then, Mason’s tone became more serious. “I mean it, I really like her. But you seem to be really into her and as much as I hate it, I see how she looks at you.” 

Gage was surprised. “You getting sappy on me? Reading those romance books scavvers bring in again?”

Mason chuckled. “There are some good fucking tips in those books, basically literary porn. Part of me wishes there was some kind of a chance with her but after seeing you two together this trip, I think any chance I had went down the drain. So you into her, or what?”

“That is none of your business, Mason.”

“Oh come on, it’s just guy talk. I could give you some pointers.”

Gage smirked. “I don’t need any pointers. Doin’ just fine.”

In a surprising moment of friendship, Mason clapped a hand on Gage’s shoulders. “Alright, man. Well, best of luck to you. But just so that you know if she gets tired of your shit I am swooping in immediately. I would do anything for that woman to be my mate. Wouldn’t even fuck other people, either.”

Gage had to laugh. If Nora would make even Mason monogamous, that is really something. In a moment of seriousness, a thought that had been bugging him came to mind. Gage made sure they were far enough back from the group so no one else heard him. “Look, Mason. I like her. I don’t want to, but I do. And I worry that somethin’ll happen to me on this trip. Would be just my luck. But if anything happens to me, promise me you will take care of you.”

Mason gave him a smile. “Of course I will. I’ll take care of her.” He smirked. “With every inch of my manhood.”

Gage rolled his eyes. “You get one. No more of that.” He walked away from Mason and headed closer to Nora, not wanting to be too far away in case something happened. 

The week had been hellish. They took out small pockets of gunners at random posts but every time they took down a group, more would pop it. It was obvious that word had spread that the gunners and Nuka-World raiders were at war. Settlers hid in their houses, peeking through windows at the raiders walking by. Nora tried to be diplomatic, talking to anyone she saw. She explained to people they were not raiding settlements, but taking out the gunners. Some were relieved, and some didn’t believe her. A few recognized her from the minimal work she did with the minutemen. She had paid a settler to send word to John Hancock that she would be arriving at Goodneighbor for some R&R within a few days. 

Nora did not look forward to wrd traveling that she was an Overboss of raiders now. They barely slept, barely ate. Any sleep was had in a couple of hour shifts as multiple people stood guard for ambushes. By the time they reached the alley where both teams planned to meet before Goodneighbor, Nora could barely keep her eyes open. This time they were staying for two days, to get everyone all the rest that they needed to regroup. 

Her raiders stood in the alley by an overturned bus, and she walked up to the gate. John Hancock was standing against the wall, arms crossed and cigarette hanging out of his mouth. “Hey there Sunshine. I got your message.” Nora approached him and brought him into a tight hug. “We all been worried about you.”

“We have a lot to catch up on,” she said. 

“I heard. Heard you were leading raiders, now,” he said sheepishly. 

“Well, I am. Got them with me. I want you to come with me when I address them.” Hancock hesitated. “I promise, John. I would never fuck you over. Just, trust me, please?” He nodded and followed her to the alley.

His jaw dropped when he saw the raiders before him. Nora stood and got the attention from the gangs. “Hey! Listen up! You see this dashing fellow next to me? This is Mayor John Hancock, mayor of Goodneighbor. His town is very important to him, and he is very important to me. We will be getting some much needed rest for a bit and you will absolutely be fucking respectful. We are not at Nuka-World, we are in someone’s town. If there is any shit that goes down I will hold each and every one of you responsible. Am I making myself clear?”

The group mumbled their yes’s. Nora turned to Hancock. “Anything you want to address?” 

Hancock sighed. “Look, I ain’t a fan of raiders, but this is my special girl right here. And if she says you are welcome, then so be it. Please be respectful in my town because I don’t want to have to dispatch some Commonwealth justice tonight.” No one responded but nora knew his message was heard loud and clear. Gage appeared behind her. 

“Hancock, this is my right hand, Gage. Gage, this is a friend of mine, John Hancock.” The men just stared at each other, sizing each other up in silence. Nora sighed and stepped over next to Gage, putting an arm around his waist. “I promise everything will be fine. Most of them are gonna camp out here in the alley for now.”

Hancock nodded and motioned for them to follow into the gate. The raider leaders and a few others went in. Hancock turned to Nora, “Hey, go get set up at the Rexford. I am gonna take care of a few things, come down to the Rail for some drinks in a bit.” 

Nora grabbed Gage by the wrist and they headed around the corner of the little town, going into the hotel Rexford. Nora got all the rooms that were available, and split them up among who got them. A few of the room some raiders could crash on the floor. Gage followed her upstairs to the top floor, last room on the right. She opened up the door and took a deep breath. “It’s so weird being back here. Doesn’t feel like home like it used to.”

Gage put his arms around her waist and pulled her in. “Cause it ain’t home, not anymore.” She kissed him and they got cleaned up. “We shouldn’t stay out too much tonight, we need to get some rest.”

She winked at him. “Trying to get me in bed, hmm?” 

“I’ve barely been able to see you this whole time. I know this is important to do but I dunno,” he gulped, “I’ve kinda missed you.” 

Nora blushed and looked down at the floor. How the fuck is this raider having this effect on her? He makes her blush like a schoolgirl and orgasm like, well, like none other she had before. Even with MacReady… her face fell as she thought of MacReady. Hancock hasn’t said anything. But they were gonna have to face the music eventually. Nora and Gage both shed their armor and washed their faces. She grabbed her small bag that carried caps and strapped her handgun to her hip. Gage stuck his handgun in the waist of his pants. “Alright, let’s go play the social shit for a few minutes. Then I promise, you will have me all to yourself.”

They headed back downstairs and across the street to the Third Rail. Nora didn’t want to think about how close they were, how he made her feel. It was almost like a relationship, but he hadn’t made anything clear and she knew a raider would never want her. Stepping into the Rail, Nora nodded at Ham and headed downstairs, following the beautiful tones of Magnolia’s voice crooning jazz music. The Third Rail wasn’t too busy, just a few regulars and some of the raiders had come in for a drink. Everyone seemed to be on good behavior, which had Nora feeling relieved. 

She put her hand in the crook and Gage’s elbow and he smiled down at her. She smiled back, letting her chest swell. That was when she saw him. Sitting at a booth, staring directly at her, was MacReady and Hancock. MacReady looked like he was going to be sick and Hancock looked amused. Nora turned around like she hadn’t seen them, and got a seat at the bar with Gage. MacReady and Hancock could see them perfectly from where they were. Nora thought to herself, ‘he was just a fling, you did this for the best. He is happier without you,’ but seeing his face made her wonder if that was really true. He looked like a broken man with dark circles under his eyes and like he had lost weight. Gage turned to Nora as they drank, and pressed a kiss to her cheek. He had no idea that they were being stared down. She laid her head on Gage’s shoulder and she swore she could hear MacReady’s growl over Magnolia singing. 

“Hey boss, I’m not trying to be paranoid but you ever get the feeling you are being watched?” Gage asked. 

“Hmm? Oh, it’s Goodneighbor. They have tight security here and you are new. Doesn’t mean anything. I wouldn’t bring you anywhere unsafe, I promise,” she got up off the stool. “I’m gonna go use the bathroom real quick. We can take some food to go and go back to our room.” Gage grunted, calling over the bot to take their order to go, getting himself another drink. 

Nora walked over to the bathroom and sat for a moment. She was trying to get hold of herself. Figures that even in the Apocalypse she would be dealing with this drama. She just hoped that MacReady would be too angry with her to try to talk to her. She splashed cold water on her face and took a look at herself in the mirror. She almost didn’t recognize herself. Her face was harder, her eyes had a steeled look to them. Dark circles under her eyes met with heavy bags, and the cut that stretched from her lip up her cheek to her brow would leave a scar, a mark from their last run in with the gunner outpost. 

She looked like a different person but she wondered if she liked the person she had become. She was happier, felt more like herself than she had before. She walked out of the bathroom and started down the hallway when out of nowhere an arm came out and grabbed her, and a hand over her mouth. The arms dragged her into a small room. Angry as hell she turned around and MacReady was looking down on her. He had her pinned against the wall, an arm on either side of her and his face looked fucking pissed. 

“What. The. Fuck. Are. You. Doing?” He growled out between clenched teeth. 

“Fuck off, MacReady. Leave me alone,” she was trying to sound more stern but it came out almost breathless. His body pushed against hers brought back memories. 

“Fucking raiders now, huh? You stoop that low? You know I chalked up you leaving me and shit up to grieving but this is a real low dip in the crazy,” he snarled. 

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” Nora needed to get away before Gage came looking for her. He would kill MacReady immediately. 

“I want you to say how much you fucked up and you regret it. I want you to beg me for forgiveness,” he said, his face next to her ear. He pushed himself against her more and laid his forehead on hers, “I want you to hurry up and get past this fucking phase so you can come home where you belong. You got me pining after you like a lovestruck teenager and I don’t fucking like it.” He took a deep breath. “Leave those psychos and come home, baby.” He pressed a sweet kiss against her lips. 

Nora didn’t respond to the kiss. She almost did but that would hurt him and her. And Gage. “You don’t know who I am anymore. My home is with them, with Gage.”

MacReady looked into her eyes. “You fucking him?”

“You mean like I fucked you? Yup.”

He held a hand up to cup her cheek and Nora flinched from him. “You won’t fuck anyone the way we fucked. Cause what we did was more than that. I can’t wait for you forever, but I am giving you the benefit of the doubt.” He suddenly let go of her and stormed off. 

Nora gave herself some time to collect her thoughts and emotions. She turned to walk out and MacReady was out of sight, but Gage was right there. Fucking pissed. 

Gage managed his anger as best he could. He had gone to check on Nora, worried that she was alone when he saw MacReady push her against the wall. He wanted to kill him but his curiosity held him back. Part of him had been pleased when Nora denied that fuck, but he put his hands on her and obviously had before. He had the bag with their caps and food and Nora by the wrist with his other hand and was rushing them back to their room. He wasn’t gonna have this fight in public. 

Nora didn’t say anything and Gage was glad. They got back to the room and he slammed the door shut and she immediately panicked. “Gage, I swear I didn’t know he-”

“Who the fuck was that?” he interrupted. 

Nora sighed. Her hands were twisting and wringing each other and she shifted from foot to foot. Any other time he would feel bad that she was so scared of him, but right now he was pissed. “MacReady. We traveled before, before I went to NukaWorld. I cared for him, we started fucking. We were kinda together… I left him the day I went to Nuka World. Dumped him and left.”

Gage saw red. “So I am just some rebound, some stand in for that fuck?” He couldn’t even yell, everything came out as a growl. 

Nora scoffed. “No! It’s not like that! MacReady was the stand in, he was the rebound. Gage, I had lost my husband and I had to kill my own son. I sought comfort with him, and he was good at it. I cared for him of course, maybe loved at one point but in the end I had to leave. He deserved better than me, better than what I could give him.” She stuck her chin out. “What does it matter anyway, hmm? We aren’t much more than that, either.”

Gage stormed over to her, getting right in her face. She tried to look tough but her lip trembled. He couldn’t help it. He wasn’t a man of words, he was a man of action. That was why he held her, kissed her, made sure she was taken care of. He couldn’t talk about it but he could act it out. He held her chin in a grip and leaned down to kiss her. His lips moved lightly against hers, feeling her lips tremble again, tears threatening to fall. His other arm grabbed her waist to hold her to him. 

Gage continued the kiss when Nora spoke against his lips, “What are we?”

Gage couldn’t say it, couldn’t put into words what he needed to say. In a movement he removed his shirt, and she took off her own. Over a week of barely being able to touch her and taken there toll, and seeing that fuck with his hands on her made him ready to kill. Lips crashing down on hers again, he took a breast in his hand and rolled the nipple between his fingers. He wanted to take his time to enjoy her. But it had also been so long since he had touched her and he felt an urge to claim her. 

He pressed his tongue into her mouth and felt her sharp intake of air, and he pushed her over onto the bed. Leaning down he pulled her boots off and gently peeled her socks, careful of the blisters that had finally begun to heal. In a moment of tenderness, he pressed a kiss to a large blister on top of her foot and he heard her gasp. Leaning over her, mouth on hers again, becoming more and more hungry and desperate, he hurriedly unzipped his pants and yanked them down, then grabbed hers and pulled them off. 

He looked down at her and saw how she was looking at him. She had that look of fear again. Leaning over he cradled her head in his hand, and pulled her up on the bed, head on the pillows. He crawled over her, positioning himself between her legs. All he could do was kiss her. Their tongues and lips danced together, soft moans and purrs coming from both of them. Nora stopped again to ask, “What are we?”

Gage leaned a hand down to rub across her slit, and was happy to see she was ready for him. He didn’t have the patience for foreplay. Lining himself up at her entrance he looked into her eyes, thinking about her question. Her legs wrapped around his hips as he pushed into her, slowly, watching her face contort more as he entered her with every inch. Seated in her, he just laid there, watching her. She was gasping and looking at him. Gage wished she could just look at him, into his eyes, and know. He wished she could see how he looked at her and just knew, but not his Nora. She second guesses everything, her insecurity powerful. 

He gently pulled out slightly, and pushed back in. She gasped out again, breathless. “You ask what we are but- fuck-” he was talking between slow thrust after slow thrust. “What I know is that I don’t-” gasp- “I don’t want to share. Fuck, you feel fucking amazing, baby.”

The petname just came out, and she sighed as she threw her head back. Her arms and legs were tight around him, holding him as close as possible. His thrust were shallow, slow, and powerful. “I don’t want to share you. I just- fuck- want you to myself.” His thrusts became more of a rocking as he moved and spoke. His lips were against her ear, her lips against his ear. He could hear her breathless moans as he kept trying to make it clear what he wanted. “I don’t want another man touching you. I tried to hold off, to hide it, to say we are just fucking on the side.” 

Her breathless moans became louder, more whimpering. He could feel her tightening around him which was perfect because he was already close himself. “I want to be the only one to see you like this, to feel you. To lay next to you, and call you my own.” Her head snapped back at that and she looked into his eyes. He held the stare. Now was the moment of truth. His thrusts became slow and shallow again. “I want you to be mine, and only mine.”

She pressed a kiss against his lips. “I want that, too. Fuck I shouldn’t and I am a horrible person but right now, I want that, too. No matter how much I try to talk myself out of it.” Gage groaned and started thrusting harder again, the rocking back and forth becoming faster. She was getting tighter, more wet. 

He tilted her chin so that she looked him in the eyes, and pressed a kiss to her jaw. “I can feel that. Come for me, baby.” Almost on command, she shattered beneath him. He kept the pace as she tightened and clenched around him, her back arching her stomach into him. He groaned as her release pushed him into his. He looked down at her and smiled. 

She smiled back then said, “If this is how it is, I want something from you.”

“Name it.”

“Take off your eyepatch.”

Gage refused. “No, you don’t want to see that.”

Nora shook her head, and touched the metal on his face. “Please. I want all of you to myself, too.” She reached up and gently pulled off the band that held the patch in place. Gage felt totally naked without it. He expected her to gasp, to shrink away. It wasn’t pretty, the skin was gnarled and scarred from the burns and knife. She just reached a hand up to hold that side of his face, and pressed a kiss to the cheek. 

Gage sighed and pressed his forehead against hers. He finally pulled out of her and laid down next to her, holding her close to his side. He had so much he wanted to say but didn’t have the vocabulary for it. She snuggled against him, and they both drifted off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hancock and Mac try to have an intervention with our favorite raider, Nora discovers she might enjoy submitting to Gage. Gunners pull some messed up shit, straight up war crimes, and Nora is surprised again the the raiders.

Nora sighed as she woke up the next morning. It seemed like it had been so long since she was able to sleep as much as she wanted. Gage’s arms and legs were wrapped around her, holding her tight for dear life, like she could just get up and leave at any moment. She was about to snuggle closer to him when she heard a sharp knock on the door of their room. 

Handgun ready, she slowly cracked the door. It was Fahrenheit, Nora relaxed and opened the door more. “What’s up, Fahr?”

“Hancock needs to speak to you. State house.” At that, she turned on her heel and left. Nora sighed and closed the door. Anxiety bubbled up. Had there been a problem with the raiders? She felt like she would have been notified if that was the case. She threw on the cleanest set of clothes she had and her boots. She almost jumped when she saw Gage staring at her from the bed. Of course he was, the guy was a light sleeper. 

“Hey. Where are you going?” His voice was soft, still filled with sleep. 

“I have to meet with Hancock. It ain’t a big deal, don’t worry about it.”

“Should I come with you?”

“No, I’m sure he just wants to ‘talk some sense into me’ or whatever. Try to save me from my life of sin,” she smiled, leaning over the bed to kiss Gage on the lips. His hands came up and grabbed her waist, pulling her close. 

When she pulled away from the kiss he still held her. “Please don’t tell me you were fucking that guy, too,” he said, half joking. 

Nora chuckled. “Almost did, but I met MacReady. Don’t worry, it is nothing like that. He is a very close friend.” Nora got up and left the room, making the quick walk over to the State House. 

Upon entering, she waved at Hancock’s bodyguards and they nodded in return. Up the winding staircase, she found Hancock sitting on a couch, MacReady next to him. Nora sighed and took a moment to compose herself, then went into the room. Both men’s eyes snapped up to her. MacReady’s looked dark, and Hancock still had that look of amusement but also some worry. 

“Hey, Sunshine. How are you doing this morning?” Hancock asked. 

“Great. Is there a problem? Did one of my people cause trouble?”

Hancock shook his head. “No, surprisingly everything has been fine. You got your gang on a short leash there. No, we are here to talk about you.”

Nora sat on the couch across from the two men and felt naked with the way they were staring at her. “Is this some kind of intervention?”

MacReady spoke up. “What the fuck are you doing with them?”

Nora shrugged. “I’m the overboss now, killed the last one.”

He shouted, “They are raiders!”

Nora’s anger came up quick. “And you were a gunner! You killed for caps! And now, I’m a raider!” She beat a fist on her chest. “I am a fucking raider. You don’t know who these people are, where they come from, or what they stand for. You don’t know shit about raiders. I didn’t, either. The only raiders I knew were the pieces of shit here in the Commonwealth. I am a fucking raider.” Nora’s voice got quiet as MacReady’s face fell. 

MacReady asked, “What are you doing back?”

Nora shrugged again, pulling out a cigarette. “Killin’ gunners. They wanna take out me and mine, I take them out first.” 

It was quiet for a moment, then Hancock spoke. “We are worried about you. Mac over here told me about how you left him at Med-Tek, and took off. Daisy said you were acting real weird that day and bought a ton of med-x. We were worried that you…” HIs voice trailed off. 

Nora waved him off with her hand. “That was the plan. Kinda still is the plan, I just have to take care of this first.” They looked at her dumbfounded and she kept going. “I am keeping them from doing raids. I am setting them up to get everything they need and want at Nuka-World, so they don’t have to kill and loot settlements. This is best for everyone.”

“And then what? After you finish that?” MacReady asked. 

“I continue with my original plan. This was all an accident. So, yeah. You were supposed to go back to the Capitol Wasteland to be with Duncan, MacReady,” Nora pointed out. 

MacReady flinched. “Is that why you left me? Because you thought you were a bad person, not good enough, so you thought if you dumped me I would go back to my homestead, the one I planned to bring you to, and play father figure? How would I manage to take care of my kid while earning a living?” 

Alright, Nora hadn’t thought of that. Someone was watching Duncan now, so they could probably still watch him. “Well, it’s over and in the past now. Sorry,” Nora pushed out the cigarette into an ashtray. “Anything else?”

MacReady just stared at her. “What happened to you?”

Nora set her face hard and cold. “My husband was killed in front of me. I killed the man who killed him. I spent two years looking for my son, to find out it had been 60 years and he was a monster, trying to control everyone. I killed my son and destroyed his organization. I killed off the Brotherhood. This is me, this is who I am. I kill anyone that gets in my way. You just don’t see it because your ethics line up with my kill targets, but this is who I have always been. Now I am just more free to be myself, not having to put on the sweet Nora face.” 

MacReady stood up and walked over to her, standing in front of her. She looked up at him, defiant, and he placed a hand on her shoulder. “You know where I am, where I will be.” He turned on his heel and walked out of the room. 

Nora turned to Hancock, “Am I gonna hear any more shit from you?”

Hancock threw his hands up in a mock surrender. “I just want you happy, Sunshine. If this makes you happy then, go for it. I know you loved Mac, I know he loves you. I see the way you two still look at each other. But if this is something you need to do, then go for it. You know my rules. If someone needs helpin’, we help em. And if someone needs hurtin’, we-”

“Hurt them.” Nora smiled. 

Hancock gave her a wink. “World could use a lot less gunners anyway.”

Nora waved goodbye and left. MacReady was outside by KLEO’s shop, watching her. The rage in her chest bubbled up but she refused to let him see it. Storming back to the hotel, she let the anger wash over her. How dare he? He wants to talk her out of things she wants to do, to please his own agenda? He thinks he can guilt her into staying here with him? What is his deal, why won’t he move on? She practically ran up the stairs. Honestly, she wasn’t sure why she was so angry. Maybe she was a little angry at herself, too. Did she ruin all the good she had left? 

Gage jumped when Nora slammed open the door to the room. She was fuckin’ pissed, and he began to feel sympathy anger. What happened? Did someone hurt her? Did that Mac fuck show up? Why hadn’t he thought of that guy before, she had mentioned him before to Gage and he should have known they would run into him eventually. His mind was racing as Nora stormed over to him as he sat in a chair and unzipped his pants.

“Whoa, whoa, hey what’s going on?” Gage stuttered. 

“Shut up,” Nora snapped, grabbing his mostly soft cock and pulling it out. 

“Alright, you don’t get to talk to me like that when you want something from me,” He joked. Then he gasped as Nora put his flaccid cock into her mouth. It wasn’t soft for long, it got the memo pretty quickly. Gage groaned as she ran her tongue down his growing length. He got fully hard real quick and she wrapped her lips around the head of his cock, her tongue dancing slightly and catching the drips of pre-cum. Gage looked down at her as he gently put a hand on her head, tilting her up to look at him. “What’s going on?”

Nora just snarled and kept going, popping his cock out to say, “I just need this right now. I’m just… I just need this.”

Gage watched as her mouth moved up and down his cock, head bobbing gently. He could tell this was something she was not used to doing, but his lust for her was growing in the pit of his stomach. Softly he asked, “Do you trust me?”

She looked up at him, eyes big. “What?”

He cupped a hand to her cheek. “If you want to get some of that anger and frustration out, I can help. But you have to trust me. If you don’t we can just keep going like this and I won’t be mad either way. Do you trust me?”

Nora gulped, looking from his eyes to his cock, and back. Finally she nodded. He grabbed her hair by the scalp and gently pulled, enough to sting. “Yes, I trust you,” she half sighed. 

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “That’s my girl. Take off your clothes.” She got up and stripped down, almost shy in front of him, then returned to her place between his knees. Without warning, the hand went back to her hair and gripped tighter, forcing her neck to bend back. She gasped as her hands fell to her sides in surprise. “Now, be a good girl and bring me your mouth.” Gage watched her face, her eyes to see if there were signs of fear or regret, if she didn’t want to. All he saw in her eyes was a hungry lust. She crawled forward on her knees, moving so she was sitting directly between his legs. 

Using her hair to direct her, he brought her head forward into his lap, making her neck bend. He yanked her head to the side, so he saw one side of her face, a side profile next to his cock, eagerly waiting. He wanted to reassure her, so with his other hand he caressed her cheek for a moment and leaned down to press a hiss where his hand had been. 

One hand on her scalp, the other hand now on his cock, holding it up for her he said, “Put your pretty little lips around my cock.” She moaned and Gage was pleased when she listened. All she had to do was lean forward and the head was in her mouth again. Still holding his cock with one hand, he used the hand on her scalp to direct her movements. He didn’t let her get past the head for now, just a gentle bobbing up and down. Slowly, he started pulling her head down more with each bob. 

He nearly had his whole cock in her mouth before she gagged. Fuck, that is hot. He groaned, looking at the spit around her mouth mixed with his pre-cum. “Look up at me.” She hesitated, and he yanked on her hair. Her eyes snapped up to his immediately. “Good girl, Nora.”

He started to bring her head down faster, harder. Every few times he slammed hard into her throat, gagging her. She wasn’t ready for throat fucking, yet. That would come with time. Gage was pleased when he noticed her squirming in place, as she tried to rub her thighs together for some kind of friction. Finally he stood up, keeping his cock in her mouth. He looked down at her. She was sitting on her knees, hands at her sides, she was moving exactly how he told her to with every movement and twitch. 

Gage took both hands and set him on her head, holding it still. He began thrusting into her mouth. Not enough to choke her, like before, but enough to gag. He almost lost it when she began moaning around his cock. “Touch yourself, Nora. Make yourself come.” He groaned out. 

With a cry of relief one of her hands disappeared between her legs, and Gage could see the furious movement and rubbing happening there. He started fucking her mouth harder and faster, was pleased when the movements of her hands on her pussy matched that of his hips into her mouth. He saw her shoulders tighten, and she cried out around his cock as she came on her own fingers, furiously rubbing still through the waves of her orgasm. 

Gage groaned and fucked her lips faster. He was about to finish and asked, “Can I come in your mouth?” She gave the slightest of nods and he groaned, shallow and erratic pumps working through his own orgasm. He watched her face as he unloaded in her mouth, as if deciding if she liked this part. Has she ever tasted come before? In a sudden moment of tenderness he let go of her head to bring his hand down to her cheek, tilting her head up to look at him. “Better?”

That smile she gave him was entirely too sweet after what he just did to that mouth. “Much.” He chuckled and pulled her up by her arms, bringing her close to him and kissing her on the mouth, shoving his tongue inside. He could taste himself on her, that taste of salt and some kind of chemical. He let her put clothes back on, in case any of the raiders came up for something, but they laid in bed together for a long while. Gage’s mind wandered, wondering what happened in the State house, and why she was so angry. But she was here now, with him, and that was all that mattered. 

Nora’s soft voice came from his chest. “How did you know what I needed?”  
Gage smirked. “I know how you leader types are. To truly blow off some steam, you gotta give control over to someone else. Don’t make you any less strong or any less of a leader. Submitting every once in a while is good for ya.”

The time at Goodneighbor went by without incident. They restocked on supplies from Daisy and KLEO and said their goodbyes. Nora hugged Hancock, MacReady standing against a wall watching. Hancock made her promise to send word, and they were off again, teams splitting. They were traveling for two more days, then were going to head back to Nuka World. Nora was feeling good about the trip. They had only lost a few raiders and the number of the gunners was dwindling fast. Each place they past it looked like the gunners were retreating, leaving nothing behind. 

The first day out was when disaster struck. They came across a small settlement, buildings still smoldering with embers from being on fire. Nora elbowed Gage and pointed, he just shrugged in response. She knew what that meant, ‘not their business’, but Nora felt sick. Something wasn’t right. Gunners were retreating fast from them but somehow this settlement was burned down. Once they got closer, Nora called out to the raiders, “Look for survivors!” when she got groans in response, she snapped. “Shut the fuck up and do what I tell you. This could be gunners work.”

Most of the raiders lazily walked through the settlement, kicked over walls that were about to fall. They didn’t see or hear anyone. They approached a house in the middle of it and they smelled it before they saw it. It smelled like, burning hair? The acrid scent punctured Nora’s nose, and she did her best to not look like it bugged her. Walking through the settlement they got closer looks at the burned remains of buildings, moving debri out of the way when Nora froze. 

Under the pile of blackened wood at her feet, was what was once a human. It was burned beyond recognition. At that point, a pack member ran up to her. “Boss! There were people in the houses.” Everyone turned to stare at Nora. There was a loud ringing in her ears and her hands shook. 

Something snapped out of her. “Look in every building for survivors! I need proof this was gunners! Go!” Some raiders stood and just shrugged, some began the hunt. The Disciples just looked amused, as the Pack members were doggedly hunting for any evidence. 

Mason came up behind Nora. “Boss, I don’t think there are any survivors.”

She waved him off and walked away. The house closest to her, the skeletal remains black, she stepped through the doorway. Careful of any falling embers she looked around, not knowing what she was looking for. As she stepped over a spot in the floor, the soft wood slightly caved under her foot. She stepped in the same spot again, and she heard the same thing. Suddenly she heard the softest of whimpers. Moving wood and fallen debri out of the way, yelling for help, she hurriedly tried to get to whatever was in the floor. 

Two pack members and an operator helped her move the beams and the rug off the floor to show a trapdoor hidden in the wood. Hands shaking, she put a finger in the hole of the wood and pulled it up, moving the door away from what was basically a root cellar. Inside, three pairs of bright eyes looked up at her, scared and shaking. Children, all under the age of six it looked like. Nora held her arms out. “Come here, they are gone. Come on, now.” 

The raiders stood a distance away as she gathered the children out of their hiding spot. Nora assumed that their parents put them in there when the gunners came for their own safety, not knowing the house would be burned down, trapping them in there. Nora was trying to help all three children out of the cellar, when a young Pack member came over and took the toddler in her arms, immediately bouncing her on her hip. Nora brought the children outside and waited for news of more survivors. 

There were none. They built camp there for the night as they planned. The oldest child ended up telling Nora what happened. Gunners had come through, demanding shelter and all their supplies. Their parents had denied them, so they did a raid and burned everything down. Nora unrolled her bedroll and put the children to sleep on it, sitting close by and thinking hard to herself. 

Lost in thought, Nora jumped when Mason sat down next to her. He didn’t say anything for a while, then pulled out a pack of smokes and lit one for her, handing it to her. She took it gratefully, then looked at him and said, “Let me guess. You want me to leave them here to fend for themselves because I am too soft.”

Mason chuckled. “Not even close. Pack has a soft spot for kids, it’s why so many members are young. Kids are my weakness, always wanted some for myself. No, I was gonna see what your plan was.” 

Nora sighed, “I don’t have one. I have no idea what to do.” She looked at Mason, pleading. “What should I do?” She didn’t even care if she looked weak right now.  
Mason suddenly looked stern, staring at her. “You got any kids?”

Her face dropped and she stared at the cigarette in her hand. “Did.”

He nodded, knowingly. “Well, you knot the Commonwealth. Where is the closest place they can go that is safe? People you trust, at least a little?”

She thought for a moment. “The safest place for them is Diamond City. They have a school there they can stay in, but I can’t have raiders walking up to that shithole. Goodneighbor isn’t far, we can head back to NukaWorld and drop them there. I will pay someone to deliver them to Diamond City. Maybe Hancock will take them in, who knows.” She looked back at their tiny bodies. 

Mason nodded. “So we heading back to NukaWorld, boss?”

“Yeah. Gunners have retreated across most of the Commonwealth and we put a big dent in their numbers. We need to get back and regroup, before they plan an attack on us there and half our gangs are gone.”

He looked over at Nora. “You got a real good head on your shoulders, you know that? And you got a good heart.” When she dropped her head, he put a hand on her shoulder. “I mean it. Just because you are a raider doesn’t mean you are heartless. Gage has just had to be real hard for a long time. Hell, must of us have and I think you have, too. It’s okay to be soft on occasion.” He got up and walked away, leaving Nora to her thoughts. 

Nora didn’t sleep at all that night. Every time one of the kids coughed she ran to their side, worrying about lung damage from smoke inhalation. A pack member and operator shooed her away several times, insisting they would keep watch but her nurture side came out strong. Nora managed to find a group to run a message to the other team, to start to head back to NukaWorld to regroup. 

The team headed back to Goodneighbor, the kids kept in the middle of the group. Nora smiled as Pack members made animal noises to make them laugh. The Disciples didn’t seem thrilled but they left the kids alone. She finally found Gage and discussed her plan with him. He wasn’t thrilled, said it seemed too soft, but Nora insisted they couldn’t just leave kids. Plus, it would look good on them to help the kids. Once they spread the story of what the gunners did, they would be able to make alliances with people in the Commonwealth. 

They made it to Goodneighbor by mid-day, and Nora found Hancock. She told him about what happened and he was sympathetic. Handing him caps, she asked him to look over the kids or send them to Diamond City to someone who could. Hancock asked her to stay the night but she insisted they needed to keep moving, keep travelling well into the night to get back to Nuka World. 

And travel they did. They only stopped for a few hours at night to rest their weary bodies, making it back home in record time, only a few days. The sun was setting as Nora headed into her loft in Nuka-Town, the exhaustion from the past almost two weeks catching up to her. She immediately threw off her armor and clothes when Gage grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. They said nothing as he pulled her to bed, crashing down on it himself and pulling her with him. Within moments, they were both out like a light.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora reads some poetry, Gage is bad at words. Shank shares some intel. This chapter is a little shorter than the others because it just felt like a good place to stop, instead of going on for another 3k words.

Nora felt relieved to just fucking lay down. Just sleep, listening to the sounds of the post apocalyptic amusement park as raiders came in, meeting with their own gangs and overall excited to be home. Nora picked up one of the books she had found in the last Commonwealth trip and began reading. Gage was in the chair next to her, doing something with that goddamn rifle again. That thing was more mods than original weapon at this point. They sat quietly for a while when Gage asked, “What are you reading?”

“It’s… kinda silly. Well, not as silly as some of the other ones I got. There were a bunch of trashy romance novels which are a massive guilty pleasure for me. But I found this book, a collection of Robert Frost poetry and it just takes me back to my childhood. Reading it again now as an adult, I am discovering how fucking dark this shit is,” Nora said. 

“Read me something.”

“...Whose woods these are I think I know.  
His house is in the village though;  
He will not see me stopping here  
To watch his woods fill up with snow. 

My little horse must think it queer   
To stop without a farmhouse near   
Between the woods and frozen lake   
The darkest evening of the year. 

He gives his harness bells a shake   
To ask if there is some mistake.   
The only other sound’s the sweep   
Of easy wind and downy flake. 

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   
But I have promises to keep,   
And miles to go before I sleep,   
And miles to go before I sleep.”

Nora finished, clearing her throat. Gage was staring at her. “What’s it about?”

She laughed. “It’s poetry, it can mean a lot of things. I remember learning what the experts and Frost himself said this poem was about. When I was a kid I just thought it was about some old guy and his horse in the woods. Reading it now, I think it is about a person persevering in the face of adversity. What do you think?”

Gage blushed a little. “I ain’t good at this kinda stuff.”

“Oh come on, Gage. I wanna hear what you think it is about. That’s what’s cool about stuff like this, it means something different to each person. Hell, it could mean something different to me next week!”

He sighed. “I think it’s about a man tired of life, tired of wandering through the cold and darkness, and he wants to just give up and die. But he can’t, cause he has shit to do. Promises and all that. Like his horse, he is responsible for getting his horse safe. Maybe he has a wife at home waiting for him.”

Nora stared at him. “Wow. That is a really perceptive explanation. I can totally see that.”

Gage just grunted but the corner of his mouth perked up. “Should meet with the leaders soon.”

“I know. I’m just… enjoying not being around people.”

“I’m people.”

“Gage, you are barely people. I know, I know. I’ll meet with them later. Just let me be right now. I just want to sit with you, in the quiet, and pretend we are just a normal couple doing normal shit in a normal world. Not that we just came back from a rampage killing dozens of gunners and coming back to home which is a post-apocalyptic theme park.” Nora noticed the light blush on Gage’s cheek when she said ‘couple’, she admitted it was weird to say as well. She couldn’t tell if she felt like they were together yet, but for all intents and purposes, here they were. 

It was quiet for some time then Gage spoke up. “You know, Mason is really into those romance books, too. Says it is for the sex but I think inside the dude is just a hopeless romantic. If you run out of reading material you might be able to con some out of him.”

Nora threw her head back and cackled. “Y’all surprised me every single day. Mason and romance smut? Who would have thought?”

“Told you, the first day you were here. We are people, too. We like shit. We have thoughts. And shit,” he said, moving over to the bed and kneeling on one knee over Nora, leaning in to kiss her. She let him kiss her for a moment. 

She interrupted his mouth on hers to say, “Oh, are you trying to tell me that you have feelings?”

He grunted and muttered, “I don’t know about all that, Boss.”

She smiled against his mouth. “Oh, so you don’t have feelings.” He grunted again. “That’s perfect! So you don’t mind if I go get some of those romance novels from Mason. Maybe me and him can discuss some pieces together.” Gage’s grunts turned into a growl. “I mean I am sure you would be fine with me and Mason spending time together, since you don’t feel-”  
Gage covered her mouth with his, gripping her wrist tightly and holding it over her head. She yelped, then the yelp turned into a breathy moan as he pressed his hips against hers. “You’re playing with fire, Nora.” The way he said her name had her rubbing herself against him. He stopped for a moment, and looked down at her. “I don’t get all sappy, it ain’t like me, alright? If you want some pretty boy to tell you sweet things, go be with someone else. I’m a man of action, not words.” 

“Yeah?” Nora egged him on, a smirk on her face. “Why don’t you show me how you feel, then?” 

He looked down at her and while one hand was still holding her wrists above her head, he propped himself up on his elbow as he used his other hand to clasp her jaw, hard. She wondered if it would bruise. He stared at her and she was almost afraid. He was holding her really tight, was he going to hurt her? 

His hand stayed on her jaw as he brought his mouth crashing down on hers, but his lips were gentle and sweet. His tongue brushed across her mouth, easing it open, so he could press it against hers. The juxtaposition between rough, hard edges and tender was driving Nora’s head into the sky. She hooked her legs around his waist, bringing him closer to her. He pulled her shirt up, the hand that held her jaw now grabbing her breast and lightly pulling a nipple. 

His mouth left hers to trail kisses down her throat and she mewled as she rubbed against his hips, trying to get some friction against the burning that was happening inside her. Letting go of her wrists, he pulled her shirt over her head and then his own came off. Nora realized she hadn’t felt insecure about being naked in front of him in a while. This was a first for her. She was even shy with Mac, though he always tried to encourage her. Gage didn’t encourage, he forced her to leave her insecurity. 

He brought his mouth down to suck on a nipple, biting it and pulling it with his teeth. After each bite, he would lick the spot and kiss it. Nora unzipped his pants and started pushing them down with her feet and he chuckled. “Alright, alright, you’re gettin’ impatient there, Nora,” he finished taking off his own jeans and then pulled hers down. Nora lifted her hips to make it easier for him. He was kneeling in between her legs, just looking down at her. Absentmindedly his hand was on his cock, giving slow pumps every few seconds. 

“What?” Nora asked, breathless and reaching for him. 

“You are so fuckin’ beautiful. You don’t try to hide yourself from me anymore. You used to move in ways to keep your body hidden from me. You ain’t sneaky about it. Now, you just let me see you, let me have you. All of you,” he said, putting a hand on her throat and running it down her chest, down her stomach, palm open and fingers spread. “All of you, is mine.” He leaned down to kiss her stomach, just random spots, moving up to her chest and her throat, trailing kisses to her jaw, until he was finally laid out on top of her, arms propped by her head. “You’re mine.”

Nora’s heart was hammering in her chest and she swore he would feel it, too. They just looked at each other’s eyes for a moment and Nora swore they were talking telepathically. She felt vulnerable, and feelings of some kind of tenderness stirred inside her. Trying to be a smartass she quipped, “thought you were gonna show me how you felt?”

Gage suddenly sat up, kneeling between her legs. He stared down at her and Nora felt exposed. He took her hips in a grip, almost too tight, and pulled her towards his cock. Lining up against her entrance he waited a moment, and then slowly sheathed his cock in her until he was to the hilt. Nora’s back arched up off the bad but he had a tight grip on her hips, which he used to slowly fuck her. Nora couldn’t help but to close her eyes and throw her head back. Still kneeling, Gage leaned over her, setting one arm up on the headboard. 

Nora felt Gage’s hand cup her face, and he said, “Look at me.” This time her eyes opened immediately. He was thrusting into her hard, and slow, holding himself over her on the headboard and using that as leverage to go harder. But he was looking down at her with a look of affection, cupping her face and rubbing her cheek with his thumb. Keeping the hard pace, he leaned down and kissed her, pulling back to watch her face again. 

This time, Nora didn’t feel as shy. She didn’t understand why eye contact during sex was so difficult, but it was. Suddenly she began to feel the hot coil between her legs, stretching like a rubber band, about to snap. Her moans became louder, and Gage started to thrust faster, anticipating her. She shot her hands up and grabbed onto his sides, holding on for life as the orgasm started to rear its head. Gage threw his head back and groaned. “Fuck, Nora. You feel so fucking amazing when you are about to come.” He leaned back down and kissed her. “Come for me.” 

Nora wrapped her legs tight around his, and the orgasm crashed over her. Gage groaned, keeping the same pace as he fucked her as her head tilted back and she screamed out, back arching and toes curling. Gage’s thrusts became faster now, moving fast and hard into her, then he buried himself in her, groaning her name. The hand gripping the headboard clenched and Nora watched the muscles in his bicep twitch as his body came down from his own orgasm. Huffing, he still hung over her but he brought his hands up to her face, holding her close. 

He had meant to show her how he felt, and he did. He was rough and firm, but loving and affectionate. Her pleasure came first and he got enjoyment from that. He was brash, hard, but he took care of her. When Nora realized all of this, a single tear fell down her cheek. Gage wiped it away with his thumb, and kissed the spot where it fell. She reached up and held his face this time. “Me, too, Gage. Me, too.”

The next day, Gage and Nora were preparing for the meeting with the gang leaders. They had a lot to go over, as well as taking back the last two parks and who would take them. Gage needed some intel from the Commonwealth, so he brought the weasley Shank in to talk to Nora. The man was good at what he did but something about him was off putting. And speaking of off putting, these fucking feelings that were stirring in him, feelings he never swore to have again, were kinda starting to piss him off. But he couldn’t do anything about it now. He was head over heels for this stubborn, adorable, crazy, kind, asshole of a woman. 

They were sitting in the loft, waiting for Shank to make his appearance. Nora said she wanted to talk to him alone, before the leaders, before making any kind of plan. Gage watched Nora fidget nervously, her hands rubbing each other as she paced. “Shit, Boss. You are making me dizzy. Just calm down. We will handle anything that comes our way.”

“But what if-”

He reached over and grabbed her by the hip, pulling her to him. “We will handle it. It’s you and me, together, to the end. Ain’t nobody I would rather kill and loot with. Anyone fucks with us, we will take them down. Lot of shit has tried to kill me in this life, this ain’t gonna be it. Not while I got such a good thing with you.”

She smirked. “So we are together?”

“Jesus fucking christ, Boss. What else is it going to take to get that through your head?”

They just stared at each other for a moment. Nora looked down at the floor, and Gage brought her face back up to him. Finally she said, “You know, my plan, the one I have had since I came here-” Gage’s heart went into his stomach. The plan, her plan to kill herself. Was that still her plan. He gulped and held her closer, then they heard the lift. 

Fucking. Shank. Gage growled and gave Nora a “this-isn’t-over-we-will-talk-about-this-later” look. He hoped she would smile, reassure him but she didn’t. Fuck, was that still the plan? Would he have to take her weapons from her? Gage’s mind was racing with all the ways she could off herself and how he could prevent each one when Shank walked up to him, hand outstretched. “Hello, Gage.”

Ugh, even his voice was creepy. Quiet, low. Like a fucking snake, or a weasel. Ever the gentlemen, Gage turned to Nora. “Shank, Overboss. Nora, meet Shank. The most annoying spy you will ever meet.”

Nora turned to Shank and asked, “Do you have any information for me?”

He just pulled out a cigarette, offering the pack to them. Nora took one, Gage didn’t. He lit it, then slowly he said as he exhaled the smoke, “You did good. Real good. Cut their numbers out by 70%. But they still got some leaders alive, overboss. They are fucking pissed. It is all out war, now.” 

Gage looked back at Nora and saw her face was stone. Shank picked up on that feeling. “It ain’t bad. You knew that would happen with this. You took out over half of their people, losing minimal yourself. You are winning the war, just gotta take out their generals.”

She sighed and rolled her eyes back in her head. “Fuck, I’m not so sure of myself anymore.”

Shank held up a hand. “Look, the leaders are fucking tough. This one guy, you can’t get close to him at all, radiation and fire will kill you.”

“Then what the fuck do I do?”

Shank looked at her like he already knew the answer to the question, “You know a good sniper?”

Nora just fucking laughed. “Bet you know I do. Gonna take a miracle to get him to work for me. Again.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora sends a message to an ex, Gage and Nora begin to finish clearing the parks while waiting for an answer. Gage finally has to face the music and talking about feelings *gross*

Gage made his discomfort with this whole situation clear several times. “Boss, I don’t know about this. We can find another sniper.”

Nora was writing out the letter she was going to have delivered to Mac. “Look, I don’t even know he will do it. I’m offering a ton of caps and I know he would do almost anything for caps.”

“He would do almost anything for you,” Gage pointed. 

“He hates me.”

“Bullshit, I saw him with you at the Rail. I saw how he touched you, how he looked at you,” Gage growled and pulled Nora to him. “I don’t like this. I don’t want him getting close to you.”

Nora looked up at him and smiled. “He won’t be close to me. I’ll be by your side the whole way. Jealousy isn’t a good look on you, you know. Look, I am also offering this to him because I know he hasn’t been working much and he could really use the caps for his son.”

“You’re soft, Boss.”

She laughed. “Maybe, I have a soft spot for kids. I have never hidden that from you. I have never hidden anything from you. I promise, I will never be alone with him. I swear, you think he is gonna force himself on me.”

Gage pulled her closer. “He did. He had you against the wall, touching you.” He grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking her head back to meet his eyes. “I am warning you. He comes close to you, he is fucking dead and you are out a sniper and a ton of caps.”

Nora blew a kiss up at him. “You got it. Now come on, I am gonna get this to an operator to deliver it.”

“Operator? You trust them?”

“I don’t trust anyone, but they like caps. If I pay them enough they will get it done, especially if I offer more on delivery.”

Gage walked with Nora over to the Parlor, and Gage watched as she approached Mags and William. “Hello, I have a job available to some dependable couriers.”

Mags looked at Nora, then William. “Where to?”

“Goodneighbor, I need to hire a sniper. I will pay 200 caps now, and 200 caps when they return. I need someone fast and dependable,” Nora said.

Mags nodded, and waved over three Operators that were standing nearby. “You three, Boss has a job. Delivering something to Goodneighbor. Talk to her about details.” 

Gage expected Mags to step away for privacy but she watched the Operators talk to Nora. She explained what was going on, who the letter was for, and the payment. “And you need to leave right away.” With a nod they took the letter and caps and left. A bag of caps for them, and a bag of caps for MacReady. Mags continued to stare at Nora and Gage felt uneasy. 

“What’s going on, Boss?” Mags asked with a tilt of her head. 

Nora sighed. “We are at war, now. I mean it was kinda expected but I didn’t want it to happen. We took out a lot of their numbers but we still gotta take down this leader. Can’t get close to the guy, too much radiation and shit. So I am hiring a sniper. Mac can take a headshot from 500 meters away.”

Mags gave Nora a head tilt and smile. “MacReady, huh? The former gunner turned mercenary turned ex-boyfriend of the Overboss?”

Gage had had enough, and stepped forward. “You are on thin ice, Mags.”

Nora just threw her head back and laughed. “Yes, all of those things. He is also an excellent asset to have in war. I am going to spend the next few days trying to finish clearing out the rest of the parks.”

This perked Mags up and Gage smirked. She wasn’t even being subtle when she asked, “Oh, really Boss? Who is getting those parks?”

Nora just waved her off. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’re getting the bottling plant, which I will be doing first. But I require something from you, first.”

“Name it.”

“When we have walked past kiddie kingdom you can fucking see the radiation. It’s a dark cloud over the park. I’m gonna need more than rad-x and rad-away, and a lot of it. Lizzie and her chemistry set should be able to make some stuff while I clear out the bottling plant, right?” Nora’s voice was innocent but her implication was obvious. Quid pro quo. 

Mags just nodded. “You got it. She will get to work on it, now. Thanks boss, I will keep an eye out for the new flag.” With a smile Mags walked away to get Lizzie and the meeting was over. Gage ignored the annoyance he felt when Mags ended it, not Nora. He knew Nora wouldn’t say anything about it and that got under his skin. 

They gathered their usual supplies and headed to the bottling plant, World of Refreshment. During the walk, Gage brought up what had bugged him earlier. “Boss, you shouldn’t let the leaders dismiss you like that. It’s disrespectful. You end the meeting, not them.”

“But the meeting was over, Gage. She went to go carry out what I asked, that was important.”

“She turned away from you and had the last word. That should not happen.”

She just chuckled. “I’m not King Henry the VIII, I don’t require the last word and no one to walk away from me. She is doing what I asked her to. I COMMAND respect, I don’t DEMAND it. As long as she carries out the orders and does what is asked of her and doesn’t put a knife in my back, I’m good.”

Gage had no idea who this King Henry was but he got the jist of what she was saying. Nora was making him look at leadership and respect in a different way. She did command respect, and she got it from people. The raiders looked to her with reverence. She was kind and empathetic and genuinely worried for their safety. Morale was important, she wanted them to be content with their lives. “You know, you have changed me,” Gage mumbled. 

Nora stopped walking suddenly and stared at him, almost afraid. “What?”

He gave her a smile. “Not in a bad way. Well, maybe in a bad way for a raider. I find myself trying to think what you would do, what decision you would make. Even if it is soft or whatever, when you decide something it is usually a better outcome.” 

Nora returned his smile and kept walking. It was quiet but Gage wanted to hear her voice. “Boss, what was the Institute like inside?”

She sighed. “Gage, nothing like you have ever seen. Or more. Shit was all underground, several stories down. Everything was clean and fancy and pristine. Scientists and workers were making this perfect world below ground, but they forgot the most important part of a society.”

“What’s that, boss?”

Nora looked to the sky thoughtfully. “Humanity. They gave the synths free will and feelings, but they forgot about them wanting to use that will to live their life how they see fit. They wanted to control. Shaun wanted total control over everything and everyone. You can’t have your cake and eat it, too. You can’t give beings free will, then punish them for choosing to live how they want. That is the epitome of playing God.”

Gage thought about this for a while. He had heard of religion, in stores from the old world. Myths and fairy tales about what people used to believe. Sounded silly to him, like a bunch of people just afraid to die. “So, you killed them?”

“Yup! I know, it’s horrible. But the greater good and all that,” Nora looked wistful. “I should regret it, right? I should feel guilty, feel something horrible. But I don’t.”

“Maybe deep down you have always been a raider, and I just had to dig it out of you,” Gage said. 

They were close to the bottling plant when Gage smelled it. Ugh, that rotting fish smell. “Mirelurks. There are gonna be a lot of them. I hate how they fucking smell.”

Nora laughed at him, getting her rifle out and ready. “Can’t be that bad of a smell, you spend a lot of time with your face between my legs.”

Gage blushed bright red. “Boss!” Nora just laughed and he cracked a smile. “If you smelled like that, I would take you to the doctor. That ain’t right.” Nora just laughed again. 

“You ready for this?”

“Fucking not at all but let’s get it over with.” Gage took his rifle down and got explosives close by. Fuck, he hated Mirelurks. 

By the time they cleared the inside of the plant, Nora hated mirelurks, too. These were strong and there were mirelurk hunters everywhere, not to mention the random automatron that came out of nowhere and burned the fuck out of her arm. Gage had insisted she sit while he gave her a stimpack and treated the burns, lips pressed in a thin line as he worried over her. 

“Gage, it’s not that bad.”

“You need to be more careful! What if it got more than your arm?”

“Then you would have to go find someone else to fuck?” She smiled but he scoffed. “You can’t get so worked up every time I get hurt. If you are going to be like this over every little injury I’ll find someone else to come with me.”

“This isn’t a small injury. Burns are a big deal, leaves you open to infection,” Gage pointed out. 

Nora just rolled her eyes. “Come on, let’s get this over with. Make sure shit is okay outside, then we can get home.” Gage’s constant worrying was starting to get under her skin and she didn’t know why. Didn’t he know by now that she was tougher than she looked? Did he see her as small and delicate? 

Nora’s thoughts were interrupted when they went outside and they heard a roar. She was thrown to the ground by Gage and she turned to yell at him when the spray of toxic sludge landed on the wall behind her, eating away at the concrete. Fuck, a mirelurk queen. Fucking of course there is. They kneeled behind a railing as they both emptied their magazines into the creature, shooting shot after shot into its belly. 

“I need to get closer!” Nora stood to run, and Gage grabbed her. 

“No! Use the explosives from here!”

She twisted his hand off her wrist. “The explosives will do more damage if closer and I can get them at point blank range.” She ran away from him before he could protest more. She heard him growl as she yelled, “Cover me!”

The shots from Gage’s gun were going over her head into the belly of the queen. She was thankful he was such a good shot. Rolling and ducking to avoid the poisonous spray the queen spit out, and avoiding Gage’s yells at her to watch what the fuck she was doing, she did a final roll underneath the creature. Setting up mines while Gage distracted it, she ran away but tripped over a rock under the water. As she fell, the queen set off the mines, falling on top of her and Nora did her best to get away. The last thing she heard was the explosions and screaming of the dying mirelurk queen, and Gage’s blood curdling scream above it all.

When Nora woke up, Gage was holding her in his lap. He had pulled her out of the water and cut her clothes off. Slowly opening her eyes, doing a mental tally of body parts that hurt but could still feel, she looked up at his face. Was he crying?

He saw she was awake and sniffed, pulling her close, nearly smothering her. “Gage, I’m fine. Calm down.”

“You are NOT fine! You nearly fuckin’ died! I almost lost you!” He grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her back to arm’s length. “What the fuck were you thinking?” His voice got louder and louder as he screamed at her. “I am not going to sit back as you fucking kill yourself! Do you understand me? I am not going to sit back and watch you act out on some death wish. I had to use six fucking stimpacks on you just to get you to stop bleeding! What are you thinking, doing this to me? Do you just not realize how fucking important you are to me?” 

His voice started becoming softer as his breath hitched. Nora had no idea what to say. What was he trying to say. She placed a hand on his cheek. “Oh, Porter…”

He looked her in the eyes and a tear fell down his cheek. “If this is how you are going to be, I can’t do this anymore. I ain’t gonna watch you die.” 

Suddenly, Nora felt like shit. Well, shit other than her injuries which hurt like hell. She knew he cared for her, had feelings he didn’t talk about but she had been reckless. He was supposed to protect her, as her right hand and her partner, and she had been willing to let him fail at that just to serve some purpose to herself. “I’m sorry, Porter. I just… I was being selfish. You are right, I should have taken you into account. I know if something happens to me, you are dead.”

He shook his head. “Not what I am talking about at all. Fuck the other raiders, fuck the gangs. Fuck NukaWorld. I can’t fuckin’ lose you. The thought of something happening and I had to wake up everyday, not seeing you next to me, not hearing you bitch about how you have to piss, all that other annoying shit you do, makes me want to not exist anymore.”

Nora slowly sat up and turned around, straddling his lap. He met her eyes with his own, not shying away or hiding how he felt. His hands were holding tight to her waist. “I’m sorry, Porter. I didn’t realize you felt this way. I think I got more used to men talking more openly about their feelings, that I didn’t expect you to feel this way. I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful. Because,” Nora gulped, “I don’t want to lose you either, and I don’t want to cause you pain.”

Gage’s arms wrapped around her neck and waist, pulling her tight. Nora heard him release a shuddering breath, and she felt even more like shit. Gage really cared for her, a lot. And here she was just willing to die at any time. Leaning back, she kissed his cheeks were the tears had fallen but didn’t talk about it. She rested her forehead against his. “Let’s put this flag up and go home.” He nodded against her but didn’t let her go. “Come on Gage, you gotta release that death grip so I can get up.”

He shook his head. “Just a minute longer.”

Walking back to NukaTown, Gage should have felt more humiliated than he did. He had shown more emotion in those few minutes than he had in his whole life. But he finally got through to Nora, maybe that was all it took. He had tried to show her, to make love to her, but it hadn’t mattered as much until he said it. He had watched her face suddenly understand, realize what she meant to him and he felt relief wash over him. 

“What you thinking about?” Nora asked. 

Gage smiled. “That little show of emotion I just had.”

“Oh, we gonna talk about it? How unlike you.”

“Shut up, Boss. No it’s just, well, I ain’t never done that. Even as a kid, I have always been this asshole. You know, you ain’t the only woman I have…. You know,” Gage trailed off. 

“Fucked?”

“Loved.” Gage kept walking as he said it but Nora stopped. He didn’t look back at her but she eventually walked at his side again. 

“I wanna hear about her. Tell me,” Nora asked. 

He smiled at the memory. “She was a raider, obviously. You kinda remind me of her, but she was more hard and cold than you are. I was young and fuckin’ stupid. I fell for that woman, head over heels. Did everything for her and she did the same for me.” Gage’s face went dark. “But in typical raider fashion, herself came first. Leader of a rival gang had his eye on her. She was beautiful and a good fighter. Guess he sweet talked her into some shit, cause she left in the middle of the night with everything I owned. Woke up the next morning with all my shit gone and a cold bed.”

Nora couldn’t help but laugh. “Sounds like a raider love story.”

Gage threw an arm over her shoulder. “Not really. I mean sometimes, there are assholes in every group. But you should really get to know the gangs more, the people in them. There are many couples, some even married, within the gangs. Hell, there is an Operator secretly seeing a Disciple. They think they are sneaky about it but whatever.”

Nora got quiet, so Gage asked, “Now, what are you thinking about?”

“Do raiders ever have kids?”

Gage looked over at her. “Thinking of popping out a few kids?”

She gave him a shy smile. “I was just wondering. You have mentioned raiders have families before but I haven’t seen any kids.”

“Ahh, I gotcha. Usually if she gets pregnant she leaves. Not permanently, just somewhere safe, a nearby farm or settlement. A lot to this amusement park you ain’t seen yet. Too dangerous for a pregnant woman, or a babe. They ain’t kicked out if they get pregnant but the pregnancy is seen as a weakness. They can come back later. Some do when the kids are older, some stay at home and the raider husband goes back and forth to check on them.”  
“I feel like an asshole for not knowing this. Maybe I should do something for the mothers, set up some kind of day care or help them out,” Nora pondered. 

“Nah, you ain’t gotta. They get taken care of. Ain’t never seen a raider run out on his pregnant woman. The leaders make sure they are taken care of, even Nisha. Much as she hates weakness, she hates men even more so if she can set a woman up to live independently from them she does it.”

“I feel like an asshole for making assumptions about raiders,” Nora said. 

“Well, Boss, some of those assumptions were correct. And there are raider gangs that are the pieces of shit you think they are. Like the fiends I told you about before. But we ain’t all like that. We are just trying to survive.”

Nora tucked her hand into Gage’s elbow as they walked into NukaTown and he felt like he was escorting her somewhere. Neither of them cared who saw them walking arm in arm.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is shorter, because a lot happens next and I felt it was a good place to stop for now. Nora actually talks about her feelings for once, and Gage allows himself to be happy.

Nora was finally able to just relax at Fizztop with Gage. He was working on his armor, as usual. She was sitting beside him at the bar reading a book but her mind kept wandering. The conversation they had before at the bottling plant kept coming back to her. He legit cared about her, maybe even loved her though he didn’t say it straight out. Mac had loved her, too. But when Mac said he loved her, she got scared. Immediately started closing off to him, even though she did have feelings for him. It was not like that with Gage. Gage had opened up to her and she should have been scared but she wasn’t. She felt relieved, relaxed at the thought. 

Who has she become, to be happy with a future with a raider? She was finally coming to terms with the fact that deep down she was a raider, and that the raiders (well, not all of them) were as bad as made out to be. This world was different from the one she grew up in, in this world survival many times meant kill or be killed. She looked over at Gage, his furrowed brow half hidden by his eyepatch. She realized she hasn’t really told him how she feels. Maybe she just took it for granted that he just knew, as he expected her to. But maybe she owed him the same thing, that validation. 

“Hey, Gage?” She asked, and he didn’t look up when he grunted in reply. She put a hand gently on his elbow. “Hey, I want to talk to you for a minute.”

He looked up from his work. “This is never the beginning of a good talk.”

She just chuckled. “No, this ain’t bad. Well, I hope it ain’t bad. Look, I been thinking a lot about what you said at the bottling plant after I was hurt.” Gage set his armor down and turned on the stool to look straight at her while she talked. “I realized I was taking it for granted that you knew how I felt, when I don’t know if you do. Because I didn’t know how you felt before you told me. I figured you at least kinda liked me, enough to fuck me, but yeah.”

She sighed and picked at a hole in her jeans. “Even once I came into this world, I never would have expected to become the person I am. Before I came to this place, I thought I was a good person who had to do good but it just wore me down, stole my happiness away. Then I met you, and you gave me this chance. I didn’t want it but now I am glad I have it. I have found myself finally, at peace with who I am.” Nora gulped as Gage stared at her, face unreadable. “And I just want you to know that, well I know how you feel and you should know how I feel because that’s just fair and I know you don’t like words all that much but this is just right to say, and I don’t think you will-”

“Boss, get to the point.”

“I love you,” she whispered, face still down. Gage shifted, then reached for her. She looked up at him. “It’s okay if you don’t say it back, I just wanted you to know. I’m pretty sure, well mostly sure, that you might love me, too.”

Gage stood up and took the two steps to her, eyes never leaving hers. He grabbed her and pulled her tight to him. “Nora, never in a million years would I have thought that I would talk some wannabe do-gooder into being an overboss of raiders, let alone have with that overboss what I have with you. I never thought I would be here, in this place, with this amazing woman that I love so much I would destroy everything in this park for her.”

Nora melted against him, hiding her blushing face in his chest. They just stood there for a moment when they heard the lift coming up. This time they didn’t immediately separate, fuck what the raiders think. It was Mags William. 

“Hey, Boss. Just dropping off the radiation drugs. Got some glowing blood packs, it increases your resistance while healing like a stimpack. Some extra strength rad-x and shit,” she handed the box to Gage. 

“Thank you, Mags. I will not forget this later.” Mags nodded and turned and left the way she came. 

Nora sighed and looked through the box. “Tomorrow we should go to Kiddie Kingdom and get this shit done before the big battle.”

“Who you giving it to?”

“The pack,” she answered, and Gage winced.

“Nisha ain’t gonna be happy about that.”

“I know but I am gonna work that out. You are right, there are other places in the park I don’t know about. I figured we could do some exploring and give her a couple of those. She has the smallest gang. I’ll figure it out later, after we deal with whatever radiated shit is in the kiddie kingdom,” she sighed, flopping into a chair. 

Gage knelt down before her on the floor, hands on her knees. “So, as we were talking about before we were interrupted…”

“I’m sorry about that, I shouldn’t have dumped all of that emotional shit on you,” Nora mumbled. 

Gage grabbed her knees tight and yanked her forward, making her lean over him. He put a hand behind her neck and pulled her down for a kiss. “I love you, too, boss.”

Nora jumped forward into his lap, making him fall backward as she threw her arms around his neck. He laughed against her mouth and turned them around so he was on top. Pushing his hips against hers, she let out a soft moan. “Let me show you how much I love you,” he moaned against her lips as his hand worked its way down the front of her pants. 

Nora hooked a leg around his waist, pulling him in tighter. “Yes, please.” Nora did love him, but she hoped that this wasn’t all some big mistake. She pushed those intrusive thoughts out of her mind and just thought of his hand on her body, exploring fingertips, and rough lips pressing against her. 

The next day they were heading to that fucking kiddie kingdom. Gage realized he stood a little straighter, walked a little lighter, with Nora next to him.She was opening up more to him, telling him about the Institute and shit she found out there. Gage joked, “Before you blew them up, you ever feel a little pissed off that they never replaced you with a synth? I mean, come on. I’m important.” Nora just snorted in response. 

Not too far from kiddie kingdom, Nora’s geiger counter on her pipboy started going off. They doped up with rad-x that Mags had made and set inside of the park. There was someone on the intercom taunting them and Gage wanted to kill them immediately. 

They had to go from one place to another, fighting these feral ghouls that had some kind of paint on them. They ended up at some theater, where this fucking ghoul in a goddamn suit taunted them. He had been some kind of what did he call it? Magician? Before the bombs hit, and he became so irradiated he turned into a ghoul. He was strong and kept reviving his ghoul friends. Every time Gage got close enough to deliver a killing blow, the fucker disappeared. Finally he disappeared for good and he taunted them with another place to go. 

This went on for hours. They ended up in what Nora called a fucking fun house, but nothing about it was fun. It was dizzying mazes and shit. After walking through hallways of moving floors and bright lights, Gage was about to throw up. “Seriously, people fucking paid to do this shit back then? Didn’t have fuck all else to do?”

“Well, you didn’t have to fight for your life from ghouls, then,” she pointed out after they finally got through a door of a spinning room. 

“Fair point.”

They occasionally had to take more rad-x, not giving their bodies a chance to take more radiation than it had to. Gage had so much of the shit in his body that the whole trip was becoming a blue. He was just a zombie himself, fighting ghouls and listening to that fucking magic asshole taunt them as he kept the radiation sprinklers going. Gage heard the ghoul tell them to “meet him on the roof” for one last showdown. 

Gage was done with this shit. He was exhausted, sick, Nora was beaten to hell and bleeding. He wanted this to be over and done with so he could spend time with her before the Mac asshole showed up. Fuck, he had forgotten about that shit. His rage returned full force as Nora shot off feral ghouls and Gage went after the Oswalt fuck in a tux. Just like before, every time Gage got close to killing him, the fucker disappeared. It happened six or seven times until finally, Gage just unloaded a magazine into the fucker’s skull and he fell over, finally unmoving. Gage stomped on his head for good measure, then turned and helped Nora finish off with the ferals. 

Finally they both stopped, taking a deep breath. The day had been long but a complete blur, and they still had a walk back to NukaTown. Nora was staring at Oswalt, and Gage went over to her and put his arm over her shoulders. “You okay?”

“Yeah I just feel kinda bad for him. Poor guy just wanted a cure so he could be with his ghoul girl. He didn’t want to face reality, that she is likely dead somewhere. It just sucks, you know. I know it had to be done but I wish it didn’t have to end this way,” she said, leaning into his embrace. 

Gage leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead. “Boss, I know you usually like to do shit without just killing the other person, but think of it this way. You did him a favor. He was just going to live in misery forever in denial about his girlfriend coming back. You saved him hundreds more years of pain and loneliness.”

“I know, doesn’t make me happy about it. I’m gonna hack that terminal and turn these misters off. Then we are gonna take a good dose of rad-away and head home,” Nora said, already walking over to the terminal. 

Gage got into their packs and started getting the stuff ready to dose out. “Sounds good, Boss.”

They spent the next few days recovering from the radiation. Most of that time was spent half naked in bed, which Gage wasn’t complaining about. Nora was finally comfortable with her body, and didn’t try to hide herself from him every time she moved. He could touch her and all the spots she was insecure about without her flinching. On the third day was when Nisha made an appearance in the loft, and thankfully they were dressed. 

Gage stood directly to the left of Nora as the three of them stood there. Finally Nora sighed. “I know, Nisha. Look, hear me out on this, okay? I know you want to kill me, and your gang very well could.” Gage gave it to Nora, she knew how to suck up. 

“I’m listening,” Nisha said, shifting on her feet. 

“Look, we can’t just stay in the five parks forever, right? There is so much more to this place. Gage and I are going to explore, find some smaller outposts. You will have those. We will also be having outposts in the commonwealth for traders and shit. Once this war is over with the gunners, you will have the first of those as well. I didn’t do it to be vindictive, just you have the smallest in numbers.”

Nisha just stilled, her face unreadable behind the mask. Then she asked, “When?”

Nora looked back at Gage then turned back to Nisha. “Soon. We are recovering from the radiation but we are better, now. I am thinking that tomorrow we do some scouting, look for a couple of smaller outposts you can have.”

Nisha just nodded. “When we fighting that gunner fuck?”

Nora sighed. “When I hear back from the sniper I tried to hire. If he shows then we go, if not I figure out plan B. But it will be soon, don’t worry. I know Colter spent a lot of time sitting around on his ass. Tonight we turn the power back on in the plant, and shit gets real. Real real.”

That seemed to cheer Nisha up, as much as she could be cheered up. Nora reached forward to shake her hand. “I promise, the first outpost we find in the park, will be yours immediately. I will come to you right away with any news.”

Nisha said nothing, just gave a curt nod and turned to go down the lift. Nora let out a huge breath and leaned against a table. “Damn that woman is scary.”

“Never would have known the way you handled that. I say this a lot but, you did real good, Boss.”

They spent the rest of the day organizing supplies, and Nora trying to figure out how to get more caravans coming into the trading post. She was telling him about some place called Bunker Hill when he felt an urge to grab her and pull her into his lap. Clasping her hips tight in his hands, he pushed her down to grind against his cock, slowly becoming hard. 

She giggled and pushed at his chest, arguing that they had to be serious. “But Boss, I love it when you talk serious business. Makes my cock hard for you.” She giggled again against his attack, pretending to push him away. He was even smiling himself. They were both so busy with each other that they didn’t hear the lift come up. When Gage heard a man clear his throat, he immediately grabbed the gun on the table next to him, holding Nora tight to him. 

Nora just turned and looked at who it was, and she went rigid in Gage’s lap. “Well, MacReady.” She turned and gave Gage a soft kiss, reaching forward to press down the hand that held the gun up. She looked into his eye and said softly, “Unfortunately, looks like we got more business to deal with.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mac shows up for the caps (allegedly), they turn the power on and Nora discovers that religion can be eve wackier. Gage teaches Nora a serious lesson when her feelings become overwhelming.

Nora was very uncomfortable with the situation at hand. Mac was just starting at her and if looks could kill she would be dead on the floor. She stood up and walked over to him, putting out her hand for a handshake. Mac took it, then pulled her in for a hug. 

“I have been worried sick about you,” Mac said in her ear. 

“You don’t need to worry. Things are good here. Come on, we need to walk to the power plant.” She turned to Gage, grabbing his hand and pulling him to her. His face said pure jealousy. She wrapped an arm around his waist. “Mac, come with us to turn on the power for the park. We can talk on the way.”

Mac just nodded and they all headed to the lift, it grounding mechanically under all of their weight. They began the trek to the power plant, quiet for a while. Mac seemed to be taking in all of his surroundings. Finally he said, “So what is this job all about?”

Nora explained the gunners and issues they have had with them killing off her people. “We just have to get this leader. He sits in a place that has a lot of radiation and shit apparently, we need a sniper to take him out.” She stopped walking and took his elbow in her hand, forcing him to turn and look at her. “If you do this for me I am going to pay you very, very well. Duncan will not want for a thing.” 

Mac just stared at her and almost smiled, then they began the walk again. “Alright, I’ll do it. Only for the caps. I would walk to the ends of the Earth if there were a pile of caps there. And you.”

Nora chuckled. And Gage growled in his chest. She reached over and grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze. He gave her a side glance and then squeezed back. Good, he got the message, she thought to herself. The rest of the way to the plant Nora just told Mac about the park and the gangs, and what she knew about this gunner leader to take out. Mac almost looked impressed as they got to the plant. 

They walked up several flights of stairs, trying to figure out how to get the power on. There were terminals and stuff, but Nora finally found out they had to get to the roof and turn the power on. After wandering for almost an hour they found a ladder that took them up. Up on the roof, Mac just stood and looked out, they could see over the whole park from up there. Nora smiled at him, “And all of it is mine.” 

She found the button to turn on the power. Looking over at Gage, he gave her a smile and a nod. “Do it, Boss.” In what seemed like a very anti-climatic moment, she pushed the red button and waited. There was some groaning and some sparks popped somewhere, then the whole park lit up. They could see a ferris wheel in the distance and other rides. Then fireworks went off. Beautiful fireworks that almost brought a tear to Nora’s eye. 

The three of them stood by the edge. Gage asked, “What are those?”

“Fireworks. It was for celebrating, people set them off at night to celebrate some holidays or whatever. They are harmless, and quite beautiful.”

Gage just stared at her, the colorful shadows of the fireworks dancing across her face. “Yes, beautiful.” She turned to him and smiled, then stood on her tiptoes to reach up and give him a sweet kiss. Behind her, Mac cleared his throat. She gave Gage a smile then turned to Mac. 

“I have an idea! We are going to explore the park, find an outpost or two to give to a gang. Why don’t you come with us, Mac? I will pay you more for your time, and we could use the extra gun if there are any gunners or whatever sitting out here,” Nora asked, looking at Mac hopefully. 

He just sighed. “You know I can’t say no to you, especially when you offer to pay me.”

Nore just clapped her hands once. “Alright, let’s go get some shit and do some shit.” She began stomping down the ladder, heading to her home to get supplies. She felt light, like everything was going to be okay. Suddenly, a dark shadow passed overhead, out of nowhere. It settled over her like an omen, then it disappeared. She felt sick to her stomach and her heart started hurting. She swallowed hard and turned to the men behind her. “Let’s go!” She wouldn’t bother them with this, she wasn’t going to burden them with this feeling. Something is coming, something very bad is coming. She felt it in her bones. She held her head up high, promising to make sure Gage and Mac both make it out of this mission alive. 

Gage was not happy about Nora inviting this fuck to go with them to get outposts. Okay yeah, he is a really good fighter and shooter. And he cares about Nora and would never let anything happen to her. At that thought Gage growled again, and Nora looked back at him questioningly. He just shook his head, and they kept walking. The only thing that kept him from tearing this fuck apart was that Nora was being openly affectionate with him, making sure Mac understood who she belonged to now. Nora was his and his alone, no man would ever be with her again. Gage knew she was doing the affectionate moves on purpose, to ground him, but his heart still fluttered every time her hand took his and squeezed, or she leaned over to press a quick peck on his lips. 

They seemed to be walking for fucking ever. Mac was telling Nora updates about people Gage had no idea about. They had been walking for so long and had run into nothing besides a few abandoned shacks. Gage was about to recommend they head a different direction when up in the distance, they saw someone. Mac got out his binoculars and looked. 

“Gunner?” Gage asked. 

“Nah, they have some kind of robe on? Maybe one of those zealots?”

Nora groaned. “Ugh, children of atom? Gross.”

“No, looks different. And they don’t look all sick from radiation like those idiots.”

Nora just tilted her head. “Well, let’s head over there. There has to be more than one person. I wanna see who the fuck is in my park.” Gage chuckled. Mac was still looking through his binoculars, scanning the horizon. 

“There seems to be some kind of Red Rocket in the distance, past the person.”

“Oh, I like that. Those are good for outposts, I have built one out of a Red Rocket before,” Nora got excited. This would make a great outpost for the Disciples and can put workshops in there. 

They started walking towards the person. Gage expected the person to see them coming and run, but they didn't; they just stood there staring at them. This creeped Gage out and set him on edge. Religious cooks could be dangerous, as most idiots are. 

They finally got to the weirdo and Nora stuck a hand out to shake. “Hello, my name is Nora. I run this park. Who are you?”

The person just fucking stared at her, not returning the hand shake. Finally they said, “I am Erin. I am with the Hubologists.” Gage sighed. Yup, religious cooks. Fuck. 

Nora just tilted her head. “Hubologists?”

The person gave her a smile. “You should come and talk to our leader. We do not mean harm, we are peaceful and non-violent.”

Perfect, Gage thought. Easier to pick off. Nora beckoned behind her to them to follow them up to the gas station. Mac just clicked his tongue, which Gage figured meant he was thinking the same as him. Both had their hands on their rifles, ready to defend Nora. The walk to the gas station didn’t take long and Gage looked around. Looked to be about seven of these people, and he didn’t see any of them carrying a weapon in sight. 

A woman came out of the gas station and approached Nora. “Hello, I am the leader here of the Hubologists. Who are you?”

“I am the overboss of this park. What is a hubologist?”

THe woman’s face lit up. “We are a part of an old and true religion. See, before the Great War, a great man wrote a great book. He spoke of the truth of humans and what we are. Many did not see the truth and mocked him. Now we follow his word.”

Nora shifted in place. “Who is it you follow?”

The woman smiled greater. “L. Ron Hubbard. His word spoke of the truth, of the great power of hubcaps.” She went on and on about aliens inside of us and going to space and hub caps, but Gage was staring at Nora. She had a look on her face that he had never seen before. He realized she was trying very hard not to laugh. As the women went on about some space ship in the park they needed to power to get to space, Nora erupted. 

Gage stared at her as she laughed so hard she snorted, holding her sides. Finally she was able to say, “Holy fucking shit. You telling me that out of all the religions of the old world, fucking scientology made it here? And you made scientology even more fucking stupid! Not only that, you think that is a spaceship? It is a goddamn carnival ride called a gravitron. You sit inside it and it spins so fast you slide up the wall, defying gravity. Holy fuck this is amazing. This is the best day of my life.”

The woman looked really offended. “We know the truth-”

Nora held up a hand. “You got the religion wrong. L. Ron Hubbard was a scam artist who wrote a science fiction book that idiots took too seriously, and turned it into a religion that said people had to give him money, and they did. Scientology was known for being highly manipulative and abusive. This isn’t any truth, you just fell for a scam.”

Mac and Gage were staring at Nora, then looked at each other, brows raised. The woman was just stuttering, unable to get out a word. Finally Nora’s giggled subsided and her overboss voice came out. “Alright, this is what is going to happen. You and your people are going to pack your shit and get out of my park. Ain’t gonna hurt you or take anything from you. I am taking this spot as an outpost, and you don’t wanna be here when they show up.” Gage was shocked at Nora’s shortness with the people. 

The leader left to start gathering her cult together. Nora turned to Gage and apparently saw the look on his face, brow up and jaw dropped. She sighed. “I don’t like religious zealots, never have. They prey on people who are so desperate so seek answers, and build on their weakness instead of building on their strength. This shit has never changed. Fuck, look at the children of goddamn atom. They willingly send people into a slow and painful death for their extreme beliefs.” She looked back at the cultists talking, then back at Gage. “Shit is hilarious, though. They made Scientology even more stupid and ridiculous, so I gotta give them that.” She chuckled and started walking. “Fucking hubcaps.”

They slowly made their way to the park, mostly silent. Nora went into Fizztop, Mac and Gage following. Inside, Gage watched Mac’s face as he took a look around at the Disciple’s area and saw the look of horror on his face. 

Nora found Nisha and explained the location of the old Red Rocket. “Give it a few days before you head out there. It is a decent enough place, and can easily build some workshops and stuff there. Disciples can run it. I will let you know as we find more, but for now we are going to work on finishing off the gunners. That's okay with you?”

Nisha just stood and stared at Nora, face always unreadable with the mask. Her lips pursed together as she shifted in place. Finally she said, “Yes, Boss. I will send out a team in three days. Let us know your plans with the gunners.”

Nora just nodded and turned to leave, Gage and Mac following. Silently they went up the lift to the loft, and Nora shed her armor and Gage followed suit. Mac just stood there, watching. It was getting late and Gage was exhausted, wanted Nora in his arms, her head on his chest as they drifted off to sleep. 

Nora turned to Mac and pointed at the double doors. “Just through there is an apartment. It has a bed and bathroom, everything you need. It is yours as long as you are here. This place is safe, you are totally safe here under my rule. Get some rest, we have a day of strategy to work out tomorrow.”

Mac looked like he wanted to say something, and Gage just stepped over to Nora, hand around her waist. He watched them and then just gave them a nod. “See you in the morning.” Stiffly, he marched off through the doors. As soon as he was gone, Nora let out a long breath. 

Gage pulled her tighter to him as she looked up, having to crane her neck to see him. She finally started to relax in his arms. Had she really been holding herself this tight, this in control all day? He felt a pang in his chest at the level of stress she was under. Cupping her chin in his hand, he placed a kiss on her lips. “You are something else, Boss. Something special.”

She just relaxed more in his arms, laying her head on his chest. Her breathing slowed, becoming deeper. He ran a hand up and down her back, and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Her body was still relaxing under him and he wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her, tell her that she didn’t need to be this wound up, that he would take care of her no matter what. But he didn’t, he just held and rubbed her. Finally they started moving to the bed, both quietly undressing down to their underwear, both setting a knife and gun within arms reach, and both crawling into bed. 

Gage laid on his back, and Nora laid on her back beside him, staring at the ceiling. Gage tilted his chin to look over at her, and reached an arm out. “Come here, Boss.”

“I don’t want to annoy you, I don’t want you to think I am clingy,” she said, a level of uncertainty in her voice. Gage wondered where it was coming from. 

With his arm reached out he grabbed her shoulder, pulling her to him. She resisted at first, then gave in to laying her head on his chest. She set her leg over his, her whole body flush against his side as she wrapped an arm tightly around his stomach, fingers gripping tight. As Gage put his arms around her, holding her there, he felt her breath as she let out a large sigh against him. He didn’t know what to say, he never knew what to say. He just held her, hoping his actions spoke for themselves. 

He began to drift off to sleep when he felt a wetness against his chest. He smiled to himself, thinking Nora had passed out and was drooling. Then he heard the sniffle. Looking down he could see the side profile of her face, with tears silently flowing out of her. He cupped her chin to look up at him, thumb wiping tears off her cheek. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing. I’m just being silly.”

“Don’t fucking bullshit me. What’s wrong?”

She gave a shuddering breath and closed her eyes as he held her face up to him, another tear falling down her cheek to her hand. “Nora, please talk to me.” He cursed the break in his own voice. 

“I’m so scared of losing you,” she said barely above a whisper. 

“Ain’t nothing in this world going to take me from you,” he said hoarsely. 

“What if something happens when we are fighting, and you get-”

He pressed a finger over her lips. “Shh, don’t say it. Hey, I have lived this long. Just like I said, ain’t nothing that is going to take me from you.” He swallowed when another tear fell. “Nora, please. You are starting to scare me. Is there something going on that I don’t know?”

She gulped, then shook her head. He knew she was lying, something was going on. But if he pushed more she would shut down. He just brushed the tears off her face, and held her even tighter. “Get some rest, Nora.” 

He rubbed her back until her breaths became slower, feeling her drift off to sleep. He stared up at the ceiling, unable to sleep himself now, as he wondered what the fuck was going on in her mind. 

Nora awoke first in the morning and got washed up and dressed. She got some breakfast together and made some coffee, having found more of the instant stuff. She chuckled to herself, before the bombs she would never touch the instant powder. Now it was one of her favorite things. Gage eventually roused to the sounds of cooking and the smell of food, and walked up behind her at the bar, hands sliding around her waist. She smiled and leaned into him, feeling his erection against her ass. 

“Someone woke up frisky,” she said. 

“Mmm, this domestic shit gets me hard. I don’t know why but you doing this kind of shit for me, fuck I like it. Never been into it before but fuck,” he pressed his erection against her harder, putting his face against her hair, “it makes me happy.”

She laughed. “So you want me to just be a housewife, don’t want me off fighting and shit?”

He nuzzled the back of her head. “No, I like that shit, too. I like everything you do. Fuck, Nora,” his hands gripped her tighter, “you really got a hold on me.”

She laughed again, remembering the old song. She started singing it immediately: “I don’t like you, but I need you. Seems that I’m always, thinking of you. Whoa you really got a hold on me…” She kept singing, trying to remember the words. Gage was still behind her. 

“What was that?”

She pressed her hands over his at her waist. “An old song from my time, a style called Motown. I love that song so much. It is literally called ‘You Really Got A Hold On Me’”. 

“You have a beautiful singing voice.”

“Liar.”

His hands at her waist pinched her and she gave a soft yelp. She giggled, and he began to rub his erection back and forth. She was about to throw her arms back and around him when there was a knock at the double doors. “Fuck.”

She sighed as Gage gave her another squeeze. “At least he knocks. Tell him to fuck off, I want to bury my cock in you and feel you scream.” Nora shuddered at the words. She never knew she would like dirty talk, Nate’s dirty talk was always demeaning. Gage could be demeaning with it but it was always still sexy. 

Nora turned her head to look up at him. “Raincheck. We have shit to do.” He groaned and leaned his head down to kiss her, bringing a hand up to grope her breast, rubbing a thumb over the nipple that hardened against his touch. He groaned again, and pressed his tongue past her lips. She sighed against him and then regretfully stepped away. “Duty calls.”

He pointed at her. “I am going to get you for this. Just you fucking wait, the longer I have to wait the harder I am going to fuck you.” 

She almost moaned at his words, but she just shook her head and went to the doors, ignoring the wetness that was pulling into her underwear. Fuck, he knew just how to rev her up. She opened the doors with a smile. “Mac, good morning.”

The look on his face told her that he heard everything. “Morning, Boss.” The boss was said with disdain, but she ignored it. Gage wrangled his erection into some pants and threw on a tank top, one that was almost too small as it stretched over his mass of muscles, showing off his strength. Nora knew he did that on purpose, to have something over Mac’s small and wiry frame. They all ate in silence. After, they stood around a table as Nora strategized. 

It took all morning for them to come up with a plan. Once they did, Nora sent a message to the gangs to send her five members from each for a team, set with supplies and anything they may have to go. They were leaving the next day as long as all the teams were ready. 

By mid afternoon, Mac retired back to his apartment to use the workshop in the hall to make sure his rifle and scope were ready, and to get rest for the next day. Nora stood at the bar, whiskey in hand as she stared off. She was trying to swallow the panic. WHen she went after the institute, the brotherhood, it was just her and Mac. That was all she was responsible for. Now, she was responsible for not only the lives of her, Mac, and Gage, but a whole park of people who looked to her for leadership. 

Her hand shook as she poured another drink. The dark omen she swore she felt the other day seemed to linger over her. She realized that she was frightened. Really fucking scared. Tears threatened to fall again and she cursed herself. Where are all of these emotions coming from? She needed to get a better hold of herself. She took a deep breath and blinked back the tears. She would not do this again, not in front of Gage. She swallowed hard and stepped to the lift. She needed to find a spot, away from him, to get this all under control. The urge to run was strong in her. 

Just before she stepped on the lift, Gage appeared. He had been going through their supplies as Nora had this internal crisis. “Boss, where are you going?”

Nora tried to keep her voice from shaking and gave him a smile, hoping he didn’t see the tears brimming in her eyes. “Oh, I just wanted to check on a few things.”

“Don’t you fucking do this.”

“Do what?”  
“Do not run away from me. Don’t hide yourself from me.” He pulled her to him, she resisted against his hold and smiled again at him. 

“I’m not. Just need to-”

“Shut the fuck up.” He yanked her hard against him, crashing his mouth down over hers, and tears started to flow. She tried to breathe but a sobbing breath came out choked. “See? I fucking knew it. Talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

He growled as he yanked the back of her head by her hair, forcing her to look up at him. She tried to stop the tears under his critical gaze, brows furrowed, but she couldn’t. She had no idea where this was all coming from, she just sobbed against him. “Oh, Nora,” he said softly, the hand on her hair rubbing instead of gripping now. “Please tell me what is wrong so I can make it better.”

She just shook her head. “I don’t know. All I know is, I am scared. So many people rely on me now. Before, it was just me and sometimes Mac. It doesn’t matter if I get killed, but now I have to make sure no one else does. The park is up and running now, the gangs have their parks and territories. There is no reason for me to keep going, to really exist anymore. I did what you asked of me, it is all done and I am not needed anymore.” The words fell from her mouth without thinking about it. Gage’s brow furrowed harder. 

“You telling me you are back to thinking about that shit? That shit you wanted to do to yourself when you first came here?”

“I don’t know. Maybe? Fuck, I don’t know. I just have all these feelings of fear, like something bad is going to happen and I can’t shake it. I am just so fucking worked up and I don’t know why.”

Gage just stared at her for a moment, then the hand on her hair gripped hard again, gently yanking. Her face looking up at his again, his other hand tight on her hip, his eye searched her face for a moment. A smirk on his mouth, and his lips came crashing down on hers again. She leaned into the kiss, responding, but her mind was still elsewhere. Her mind was trying to sort through all of these feelings, this fear, when his hands moved to tear her tank top off, revealing her chest to him. 

“Gage!”

“I told you to shut the fuck up,” he growled against her mouth. His hand moved over her breast, gripping hard, then he took a nipple between his fingers, He rubbed his thumb over it, then twisted, gently at first then harder. She yelped, then the yelp turned to a moan. His mouth crashed over hers again as he pushed her backwards, hard, until she was pressed against the wall. One of his hands came up beside her against the wall, bracing her there, as his other hand went down her pants to the place that was wet, still wet from earlier. His hands rough and fast, he felt the wetness there and groaned. He ran a calloused finger over her slit then shoved his fingers inside of her, fighting against her pants. She threw her head back in a moan as his fingers fucked her with a rough pace that hurt but melted into pleasure.

He growled again and unzipped her pants, pushing the down and off of her, His teeth bit her bottom lip hard as his hands came up on either side of the wall by her head. He ran his teeth over her jaw, her neck, finding her pulse and biting down hard. His hands moved down to unzip his own pants, pulling out his cock that was hard and already dripping with precum. 

He gripped her hips and kicked her legs open with his foot, then lifted her like she weighed nothing. Her legs automatically wrapped around his waist, like that was where they belonged. He bit her lip again as he lined up against her entrance and shoved his cock inside her, burying himself in her with one hard thrust. Her head went back and hit the wall hard as she moaned out, unable to form any words as he pulled out again and thrusted hard. 

He was doing it slow, purposefully. Pull out to the head, thrust in hard. Each time she tightened harder around him, the sting of his thrusts melting into pleasure each time. The pain mixed with the arousal, clearing her mind of nothing but the feel of his cock stretching her cunt out. 

“Nora, I need you to understand this,” thrust, “You are mine, and only mine,” thrust, “And I will not,” thrust, “fucking lose you.” thrust, “Nora, look at me,” thrust, “Open your fucking eyes and look at me.”

Nora opened her eyes and looked into his eye. She saw lust and some anger, but on his face was also love and adoration. So many things there ot read, right in front of her, from this man who can be so fucking unreadable. He thrusted again, holding himself in her balls deep, and just stayed there, gripping her thighs. They stayed like that for a moment, both panting and just watching each other and she felt his cock twitch inside her. The movement caused her to tighten around him and a groan left his lips but he didn’t move. Finally, she understood. He was by her side and always would be, and he would do anything to make sure she was okay. 

Nora gave him a slight smile, and threw her arms over his shoulders, embracing him tight. She squeezed her legs around him and the corners of his lips upturned slightly, saying he got the message that she finally understood. 

Then, without warning, he set a punishing pace. Holding her against the wall as her arms and legs gripped him, he fucked her hard and fast, harder than he ever had before. Even as she felt the wet slick against her own thighs, the pace was slightly painful but in a good way. He was going so fast that she couldn’t even moan, couldn’t move her hips with him. She just threw her head back as her mouth opened, a silent moan forming on her lips. 

With each deep thrust his pelvis hit her clit and with no buildup and no warning, her body erupted in climax. Her legs shook around him as her toes curled, and she was finally able to cry out as her cunt tightened around his cock. He leaned forward, his head against her shoulder as his thrusts became even harder, faster, his own orgasm making his cock pulse inside of her, his cum already starting to pour out of her, the wet slaps becoming louder as he pumped to make his orgasm last. 

They stayed like that, her against the wall and holding tight to him. Both soak in sweat and slick from the sex. He leaned back slightly to look at her face. “You fucking got it?”

She smiled. “I got it.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This wacky trio takes out some gunners, Nora still being Nora. Mac gets a surprise, and Gage still has to make Nora understand how he feels.

Gage was ignoring the rage he felt, the jealousy, and the want to stab this Mac fucker in the back as they lay on a hill behind some trees, as Mac was looking through his scope for their target. They had gotten to the area fairly quickly without losing anyone. Now, they were looking over the quarry below, Mac using his scope to figure out where this fucking asshole was. 

“Quite a few in the quarry, not nearly as many as we expected. Still gonna be a hell of a fight, though,” Mac smirked. 

Gage nodded, his eye not leaving the target. “Alright, you know the plan. We are gonna clear out the top and keep you covered to move in and take out the target sitting at the bottom,” Gage whispered. 

Mac just nodded, and Gage looked over to the other side and saw Nora. Their eyes met for a moment, and Gage couldn’t fight the small smile that he gave her, rewarded when she gave him a smile back. He broke the spell with a curt nod, and she waved her hand to tell the raiders to go. 

Mac was right, this was a hell of a fight. The gunners before had been easy pickings, but this boss wanted his area to be secured with the best. Guns shooting off everywhere, and grenades landing entirely too close for comfort as he ducked for cover. He fought the urge to check for Nora, to make sure she was okay. He had to keep his head in the fight. 

Finally most of the gunners were cleared out at the top of the quarry, and Mac was able to move in. Gage stuck close by him to cover him from any sneak attacks, and Nora went with the raiders inside the quarry to pick off more of the gunners. As Gage watched Mac set up his rifle and get his sights on the gunner leader, He was suddenly filled with dread, and a thought entered his head. The thought that it should have been him to go down in the quarry, and Nora to stay behind and watch over Mac. He perked his ears and tried to listen for her, for her screaming in pain. 

As he watched their surroundings he felt sick to his stomach. He has come close to losing her before, but he was close by those times. Now he had no control over the situation. If she was hurt there would be nothing he could do. She could be killed right now. He felt his chest tightening at the thought of not waking up to Nora everyday, smiling at him as they kissed with their gross morning breath, her giggling as she went down below the blankets to take his half hard cock in her mouth. A lump lodged in his throat. What if she-

Mac’s gun went off. There was silence, then blood curdling screams echoing off the quarry walls. Over time the screams lessened, until all they heard were the cries of the raiders, cries of victory. Gage sighed, this was another anti-climatic ending but as long as she is okay, then everything is okay. He held his breath as the raiders started making their way up the quarry. He didn’t see her anywhere. Finally at the end, he saw her. He breathed a sigh of relief until he got a good look at her. 

She was leaning on another raider, one from the pack, her arm slung around his shoulders as she held onto her gut. Her face was covered in blood from a gash on her forehead. Forgetting everything else, he ran to her. Not giving a shit what the raiders saw and thought, he ran to her with his arms out, face all fear and rage. The pack member holding her saw him, and with a knowing smile passed Nora off to him, much more gently than Gage would have expected. 

She looked up at him with a toothy smile as he held her about the waist. “Gage..” Then she passed out cold in his arms. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Laying her down, he got a few stimpacks in her. He pulled up her shirt to see the knife wounds, and the spots from the shrapnel. The shrapnel was shallow, she must have been further away, and he was able to quickly pull the pieces from the holes and give her another stimpack. He realized the raiders were standing around them in a circle, far enough away to not smother them but obviously worried. 

An Operator came over with some gauze and duct tape, and they wrapped up her wounds as good as they could. She was slowly coming to, eyes fluttering and looking up at Gage under heavy lids. He clutched her face in his hand. “Sweetheart, you promised me you would be careful.”

She gave him a weak smile. “Well, I didn’t die. Unfortunately.” She coughed, and Gage felt a tightness in his chest. He didn’t want to have this talk with her here. Helping her up, she couldn’t even really stand on her own. He lifted her to carry like a goddamn bride when she said, “You can’t carry me, Gage. I’m too fat.”

He just huffed and kept walking. “Shut up.”

They made it back to their camp, and Gage set Nora down on the mattress set up for them in one of the small shacks. She groaned at the moment, and Gage sat down on the edge of the bed next to her. She blinked up at him, then wrapped an arm around his waist. He reached down and covered her hand with his, rubbing his thumb across her wrist. They sat in silence for a while but Gage couldn’t take it. He needed to be close to her, to really feel that she was okay. He moved her arm and laid down next to her, both on their sides and facing each other. 

Gage reached up to cup her cheek again, and didn’t miss the flinch as small as it was. He didn’t know how to say it, fuck he was bad with words. Finally he just spit it out. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“You put yourself down in that quarry. You should have sent me as the muscle, and you should have stayed with Mac. You still got a death wish.”

She sighed, and placed her hand over his. “It doesn’t matter, Gage.”

“Bullshit. Bullshit it doesn’t matter. I thought you loved me.”

She blinked. “I do, Gage.”

“Then why are you trying to do this to me? You have any idea what losing you would mean to me?” The hand on her cheek moved to grip her behind the neck, pulling her closer. “You have any idea the panic I felt just seeing you go down there, when I wasn’t there to protect you?”

“You panicked?” Her eyes opened wide.

“What? Did you think I wasn’t capable of that? Well, I am. I am capable of many things. Fear, panic,” he pressed a kiss to her lips. “Love.” 

“Gage, I’m fine.”

“Don’t ever do this again. You understand me? Don’t you ever do this again to me.”

Her face softened. “Alright.” She pressed against him, her face nuzzled into this chest, and they both fell asleep. 

Nora almost cried with joy when they reached Fizztop again. The travel had been hard with her injuries. Stimpacks took care of most of it but she was still really sore, and was pretty sure there was some shrapnel left inside her. Mac and Gage and followed her up the lift. Nora joyfully took off her armor, letting it all fall to the floor with a clang. She stepped over to the grab and grabbed a nuka cola, guzzling half of it down. She let out a loud burp, and opened her eyes to see Gage and Mac both staring at her. 

She smiled, and walked over to Gage. She pulled him down for a sweet kiss, and looked him in the eye for a moment. She wanted to make sure everything she was thinking and feeling could be implied with that look. Turning to Mac, she gave him a smile as well. 

He shifted from foot to foot, and cleared his throat. “So, my payment?”

She laughed, and walked across the room, to the chest by her bed. She beckoned him to come closer and he did, Gage not far behind. She reached over to grab Mac’s hand, and ignored Gage’s soft growl. She pat his shoulder and ignored his confused look. Bending down, she unlocked the chest and showed it to him. He gasped. 

Inside there were at least four thousand caps. She had given up counting at some point and just guessed. “This is all yours, and another will follow to your homestead after you tell me where it is so I can put it on a trustworthy caravan.” He looked at her with his brow raised. “Yes, your homestead. I want you to go home, RJ. Home to Duncan.”

He began to protest. “I can’t, I have to work-”

“I am paying you enough caps that you will not have to work for a long time. Go home, RJ. Do it for me.” He looked at her questioningly and she sighed, pushing back the tears in her eyes. “I didn’t get to watch my son grow up. I didn’t get to raise him. He was raised by others and he didn’t come out how he should have, how he would have if he was raised by me.” She swallowed hard and gave him a weak smile as a tear fell. “Go home, and raise Duncan. Play ball with him, teach him how to shoot and hunt. Teach him to be strong, but kind, to not take shit from anyone, but to respect women.”

Mac just stared at her, tears brimming in his own eyes. Behind him, Gage was looking at her with sadness, like he was just realizing everything she had lost. Mac took her hand. “Come with me.”

Gage shifted behind him, and Nora just shook her head. “I can’t. You don’t want me to.”

“I think I do.”

“No, you don’t. You don’t know who I am now. I am broken, a shell of a person. I can not give you what you need. You need to find a lovely woman who is happy and can make you happy,” Nora realized she was speaking barely above a whisper. 

“You weren’t always like this,” Mac said. 

“No, I wasn’t. But I lost a lot. But I can give you this. You can go be with Duncan, raise him comfortably. Once he is old enough to either stay home while you work or go with you as your sidekick, you should be okay. It will all be okay.” 

Mac took one last look at her. “I will leave my homestead details on your bar. And Nora,” he put a hand on her shoulder, “You will always be welcome there. No woman will have my heart like you do.” He bent and picked up the chest, drawing a map and directions on paper at the bar.

Just before he stepped on the lift, Nora stopped him. “RJ, give him a hug for me, please. Hug him real close, give him lots of kisses, wipe his tears away and hold him when he has nightmares. Do that for me.” He just stared at her for a moment and moved to take her in his arms, then stopped short. He nodded again, and stepped onto the lift. He left, probably for the marketplace to find a caravan to travel to the Capital Wasteland with.

Nora sat on the edge of the bed. Her heart hurt but felt lighter. Mac would be alright. Duncan would be alright. Gage walked over and sat next to her. They sat in silence for a while then Gage put an arm over her shoulders, pulling her close to him. He turned his head and kissed her on her crown.

“I think I’m just now realizing what all you lost,” Gage mumbled. 

“I figured.”

“I’m sorry, Nora. For everything. Everything you lost, you been through. I wish I could take it all away, make it better. Fuck, hearing you tell him how you are just a broken shell, that shit hurts.”

Nora turned and kissed his cheek. “I’ll get better. I’m doing better than when I first got here, remember?” She reached a hand up to brush his mohawk. “I’ll be okay, because I have you. You have really helped me find myself, and get better. Before, I just did what I had to because that was what was expected of me. Now, I do what I want. If I want to help people, I can. If I don’t want to, fuck ‘em. And that is thanks to you, Gage.”

“I’m scared you’re gonna leave me,” the quiet truth slipped from his lips. 

“I’m not going anywhere. You are stuck with me until you finally get sick of me and off me,” Nora joked. 

He was all serious, turning to her and grabbing her shoulders. “I would never do that.”

“Gage, I’m kidding. I know you won’t.”

“I’m serious. I would burn this whole park to the ground for you.”

“Gage…” Nora trailed off, staring at his face. She was speechless. The park is his legacy, everything he has worked for. 

He leaned in to kiss her, and as if he could read her mind he said, “I thought this park was what I wanted, just being a right hand was all I wanted. But now I am seeing there is so much more. I want so much more from you, from life, from everything.”

“Gage.” His name a breath on her lips as she crawled into his lap, already peeling off her clothes hastily. He went to work on his own and soon enough they were both naked and he picked her up by her hips, turning them both so that she was laying back on the bed and he was laying on top of her. 

This lips devoured hers, hungry and moving fast. She returned with as much fervor and more, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders, holding him close. His lips trailed down her neck, taking nips at her pulse. His hand went down between her legs, a gentle touch to her entrance, circling it. His thumb pressed against her clit as his finger made the circular motions, and she whimpered against his mouth. 

He pushed a finger inside her and pumped it a few times, then brought that hand up to brace himself on top of her with both forearms by her head. Slightly gasping she looked up at him. “What?” She asked when she realized he was staring at her. 

Slowly she moved her hands from his shoulders to his face. He had let her take off the mask once before, and she wanted it off again. She wanted all of him. He didn’t protest, didn’t move, as she gently pulled on the strap to take it off his head. She threw it off to the side, and he hadn’t moved, still stared at her. Laying back, she ran her hands up his biceps. He didn’t move, he just kept that stare on her. Finally he said, “I love you.”

“I love you too, Porter.”

With a groan he thrusted inside of her, sheathing with one thrust. He leaned in closer to her, kissing her throat. “I love you,” he repeated. 

Nora gasped out, “I love you.”

He pulled out, and thrusted in again. “I love you.” This time he was looking up at her face. 

Nora turned and met his eye. She was filled with a warmth that didn’t have to do with his cock being deep inside her. Something was warming her, melting the ice that had built up around her heart. Softly she whispered, “I love you, too.” She turned her head and pressed her cheek against his, wrapping her arms and legs tight around him, keeping his body as close to her as possible. 

Still propped up on his forearms, he began to slowly thrust in and out. Their entire bodies clasped together as he rocked and thrusted, their eyes never leaving each other. Nora felt it again, the warmth and something else. It felt like joy. “I love you so fucking much it hurts, Gage,” she moaned out. 

At that he groaned, but continued to rock and thrust, the thrusts becoming harder, still slow. His rocking back and forth was hitting all of the right spots, as he always knew how to do, and with little buildup Nora was coming with him still moving inside her, his pace not changing. She wasn’t even ashamed of him watching her face as she climaxed, how she turned red and her mouth fell open, eyes squinting. Gage started thrusting harder and slightly faster, and finally he dropped his head to her throat, biting the pulse there as he groaned, filling her with two more hard thrusts. 

They laid like that for a while, then Gage got up and laid down beside her. He held her close, both ignoring the wetness on both of their bodies, between her legs, and just laid there. Nora felt a fluttering in her stomach, like butterflies. It happened for a moment and it made her smile. It reminded her of something from long ago, but she couldn’t remember what. The fluttering came back a few times as they laid there. They both drifted off to sleep, the sounds of an amusement park of raiders all around them as they lay naked after making love.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit goes down, down, down. Nora does what she does best, which is run. Gage is not happy about all these feelings, and another person makes a cameo.

Nora was trying to hold down the panic that she felt. How she had been ignoring all of the signs was beyond her. The strong emotions, the anxiety, the constant tears. It all could be from grief, from stress, but it could be so much more. She sat in the clinic, waiting on Mackenzie, their doctor that they had available. She had to practically beg Gage to let her see the slave doctor alone, telling him she needed a bit of privacy. He had just cocked a brow, and took a seat outside the makeshift clinic to wait for her. 

Mackenzie came in, washing her hands with some purified water, and stood before Nora. “So, Boss, what am I seeing you for today?”

Nora had no idea how to start this conversation. “So, I, uh, I have been having these weird symptoms and I have been ignoring them cause they could be anything, you know. I am under a lot of stress. Plus the constant radiation can fuck with the body and I-”

“What are your symptoms, boss?” Mackenzie interrupted patiently. 

Nora sighed. “I have been real emotional, lately. Like panicky and crying a lot. Feeling kind of, you know. Nurturing. And I felt a fluttering in my stomach that comes and goes all of the time.”

Mackenzie stood up straighter and stared at her. “When was your last period, if you have one?”

“I don’t know, months? With the radiation it comes and goes, so who knows, you know?”

“Are you having nausea, vomiting?”

“I mean, sometimes. Again, stress and radiation.”

Mackenzie nodded solemnly. “Well, we do have a form of pregnancy test. It really only works when you are a bit farther along, and if you are feeling the fluttering… Well, you have had kids before, so the fluttering may come early. Here, urinate for me in this cup and I will administer the test.”

Nora stood behind a makeshift wall to piss in the cup. Her hands were shaky, unable to keep them steady for the task at hand. How can this happen? Well, she knew how. Worst off, who would be the father? Fuck, she didn’t want to think about this now. She would figure that out after the test. She never thought she would be praying for radiation sickness or some kind of disease that would be causing this. She finished and gently handed the cup to Mackenzie, who took some of her urine out in a syringe and put it in a test tube with another chemical. They waited for a few minutes, and Nora swore she felt like she was going to pass out. The urine in the test tube turned a light blue. 

Mackenzie slowly turned to her. “It’s positive, boss.”

That ringing came back in Nora’s ears, and her vision went fuzzy. Her knees buckled out from under her, and Mackenzie caught her and she collapsed. “Do you want me to get Gage?” she asked. 

Nora shook her head vigorously, sitting in a chair and taking deep breaths, gathering her strength. She had absolutely no idea what to do. It might be Mac’s, but he usually pulled out. Usually. It could be Gage’s, but would she be far enough along to feel the fluttering? She felt her stomach. She had some pudge there, it wasn’t totally flat, so it was hard to tell if she was showing. Mackenzie started gently rubbing her back. “What do you need me to do, Nora?” Her voice was soft, cooing. 

Nora took a deep breath again. On exhale she looked Mackenzie in the eye. The young woman was looking at her with compassion. “Keep this to yourself, please. I need to figure out what to do.”

“Of course. Patient Privacy.”

Nora gave her a small smile, then the smile faltered. “What am I going to do?”

“I don’t know, Nora. I am trained in some midwifery, and have delivered babies but I will be honest, I am no expert. And we are not set up here to handle a labor and delivery. If anything should happen, I do not have the tools and set up I need. I don’t want to scare you, I just want you to know the truth so that you can make an educated decision.”

“Thank you for your honesty. I appreciate it. I have no idea what to do,” Nora let out a groan. Her vision was clear again and her legs felt stronger. Gage would start to worry if she took too long. “I am gonna go, try to figure out what I am going to do. Thank you, again.”

Mackenzie placed her hand on Nora’s shoulder and squeezed. “If you need anything, or start having weird or uncomfortable symptoms, come to me. I can try to help you manage the symptoms as best as we can.” Nora stood up and walked to the door. As her hand reached the handle, Mackenzie cleared her throat. “You know, there are some settlements around that women go to in order to give birth, with proper doctors and set ups. If you decide… Well, just know that I got connections with caravans and mercs, I can help you.” 

Nora should chastise her for even offering such a service, but she appreciated the thought. She didn’t know what to do and Mackenzie was telling her she had options. “Thanks, Mack. I’ll keep that in mind.” 

Nora walked out of the clinic and back to Gage, who stood immediately as she exited the small shack. “So, what’s going on? Are you okay? Are you sick or something? You were in there a long time.”

Nora waved him off. “Oh, it’s nothing. I just ended up talking to her about the clinic and some needs that need to be met for better medical services for everyone. And some girl talk happened.” She gave him a small smile. “Sorry for worrying you, I didn’t mean to.”

They started walking back to Fizztop, and Gage was really quiet. He was usually quiet, but this time it felt tense. They reached the loft when he grasped her arm, tight but not painful. “You know I can tell when you are lying. I can see it on your face, something is wrong. Are you sick?”

Nora’s lip trembled. She couldn’t tell him, she didn’t know how he would react. Would he be forced to stay with her like Nate, and live to resent her? Would he kick her out of the park, to never see her again? He had said before that raiders usually didn’t run out on their pregnant woman but when he came down to it, how would he react? How would he feel about the child maybe being Macready’s? She put on a strong face. “Look, I didn’t want to worry you, but” Gage’s face fell, brow furrowed immediately, his body tense as he held onto her arm, and she was rapidly trying to think of a lie. Cancer? Would he know what that was? Was it ethical to lie about such a thing? Technically she had a tumor with a heartbeat inside her. The lie fell from her lips as she thought of it, “Too much radiation, between the quarry and Kiddie Kingdom. I am pre-war, I am not as immune to it as you all are. It has caused some, uh, damage.”

Gage pulled her to him, this time putting his other arm on her shoulder, crouching down so he was almost eye level. “What kind of damage? What is happening?”

“I am not sure, a bunch of medical lingo. Some of my internal organs took some damage and I, uh, need treatment for a while.” Nora blushed, she couldn’t believe she was lying to him like this. If he found out the truth he would be livid with her. 

He cupped her cheek, looking almost like tears were brimming in his eyes. “Sweetheart, I,” Nora almost winced at the crack in his voice. “I can tell when you are lying to me. Please tell me what is happening. You are a smart woman, you would understand her medical terms. You are being vague on purpose. Please,” he pressed a kiss to her forehead, “please tell me.”

Nora just shook her head. “That is all I know for now.”

Gage felt like a thousand needles were pricking his body all over, and his tongue was dry. Nora was obviously lying to him. She wasn’t good at it and had several tells. He assumed the worst, that she had some kind of, what was it called? Cancer? People get that from radiation, he thought. Was she dying, and just wanted to protect him? All he could do was pull her into his arms, wishing away whatever was wrong with her. 

Eventually she pulled away and they made dinner together, both in silence. Gage’s mind was going a million miles an hour, making guesses on what was wrong. She was downplaying it. After dinner they both cleaned up, and she got a can of water and a washcloth to wash herself off before bed. He smiled, must be a prewar thing, to always want to be clean. He sat on the edge of the bed and watched her rub the wet washcloth in circles over her body. It wasn’t even arousing him. He was just watching her thinking, would she be gone, and he wouldn’t be able to watch her do these things anymore?

A lump appeared in his throat and he cleared it with a cough, pushing it down. Whatever it was, he would take care of his Nora. They would find a cure, no matter what. If he had to stomp over every inch of the Commonwealth, the Capital Wasteland, whatever, he would find it. He just needed to find out what was wrong first. He leaned down to pull off his own boots and pants, and glanced up at Nora one more time. She was standing there, eyes drifting off to somewhere else, washcloth in hand. She was just rubbing it in circles over her stomach. Over and over. 

He cocked his head as he watched her, and she didn’t even seem to notice him. Just circling with the washcloth in the same spot, on her lower stomach, when her other hand came over to hold the bottom of her stomach. Gage gasped. Could she be pregnant? His gasp seemed to wake Nora up, and she snapped back to reality. Putting everything away, she came to bed with him, laying down on her back beside him.   
Immediately he put an arm over to hold her close. He liked to think if it was that, she would tell him, right? Was she scared of how he would react? She did say that she only married her husband because of a baby. He had to get the truth out of her, and fast. If she was sick, they had to find a cure. If she was, well, the other thing, he needed her to know he would take care of her. Gage’s mind was wandering still, so distracted, that he didn’t notice Nora crying at first. Fuck. 

He held her closer, even as she tried to pull back from him. “Hey, none of that. Come here, stay here.” He put both of his arms around her and held her to his chest. “You know I would always take care of you, right? No matter what.” He thought that would help but Nora started sobbing in his arms, crying out. “Baby, come on. Please tell me. I won’t be mad, won’t do anything to hurt you. I’ll do whatever it takes to take care of you, whether it is finding a cure or… Anything.”

She just buried her face in his chest, racking sobs shaking her whole tiny body against him. Fuck, it was enough to get Gage worked up. It wasn’t often when he had no idea what to do, and it wasn’t a good feeling. 

Nora woke up the next day, red eyes and puffy face from crying. She was ashamed of herself for the whole mess the night before. Gage was up and about, tinkering on stuff, obviously keeping an eye on her. She wasn’t hungry, her stomach doing flips. She made a cup of coffee and as soon as she smelled it she started gagging. Horrified, she looked over at Gage, who had an eyebrow cocked behind his eyepatch. “Coffee must have gone bad, I will have to find more.”

Gage went back to his work, so she suppressed the nausea enough to down the cup behind his back. She needed it to function, she was so fatigued and weak. How she missed all the signs was beyond her, she should have looked past all the stress. All the emotions and other things, she had it all before with Shaun. 

Shaun’s memory came back to her and she choked a sob. This time Gage was up, crossing the room to gather her in his arms. “Fucking talk to me.”

“I was just thinking about Shaun, my baby.”  
“What has you thinking about him?”

“I never stop thinking about him. I had to kill him. But, I just think about when he was a baby. Laying in his crib, looking up at me as I made faces at him, falling asleep in my arms. It just,” she choked back another sob, “it hurts, you know?”

This time Gage went down on a knee in front of her. He just looked up at her, hands on her waist. His face was level with her stomach and he leaned forward to plant a kiss on it. What is this about? What is he doing? He looked up at her, and stood back up again, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She decided to ignore this little act for right now, he was probably just being overly affectionate cause he thought she was actually ill. Which was a fucked up thing for her to pretend and lie about but she had no idea what to do. 

Sitting in the loft in silence, Nora got to thinking. Mack did say she could get her to a settlement with doctors, proper training and tools. Gage would never leave, the park was his legacy. Nora suddenly wanted Macready here. He would hold her and smile with glee, be so excited to give Duncan a sibling. Feeling impulsive, she walked over to the trunk that was supposed to go to him with more caps. Making sure Gage was busy with that damn gun of his, she set to write a letter. She had to tell someone. Needed someone and outside of Gage, Macready was all she could think about to be able to listen. She grabbed paper and a pen:

Hey RJ, 

Here is your next payment. Look, I don’t know how to write this and I am really freaked out. I don’t need you to do anything, don’t want you to, but fuck man, I am pregnant. I am not telling you this because I want you to do anything, but in this matter I feel completely and utterly alone. I don’t know what to do. I can’t tell Gage, I don’t know how he will react. I just needed to tell someone. I am trying to figure out what I am going to do. I hope all is well with you and Duncan, and you are enjoying your time with your son. Fuck, I don’t even know how to end this letter. Do not bother trying to come here, I doubt I am going to stay. Fuck all I wanted was to finish this job off and eat a fucking bullet, you know?

Nora

Sealing it in another piece of paper, she put it in with the caps and locked the trunk. She turned to Gage. “I need to get this down to the market, the caravan leaves today.”

He shot up. “Here, I will help you.”

She lifted the trunk, straining under the weight. “I got it, I’ll be right back.”

“No! You shouldn’t be lighting heavy shit, you are sick! I got it, fuck!” He shouted. 

Nora flinched back. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.” They walked to the market, Gage easily carrying the heavy trunk, and got it with the caravan trader just in time. Nora hurriedly walked away before she could change her mind about the letter. What she wrote was true, all she could think about was leaving, she had to leave. Her instinct was telling her to run. Should she tell Gage?

Gage would not want anything to do with her child, and he would be pissed at her for lying. Even if he wasn’t pissed, and if he stayed with her, it would only be for their child and he would grow to hate her. Hate the family he was forced to have when he just wanted to be a raider. If he wanted to settle down and have a family, he would have done so by now. He wasn’t an old man, but he wasn’t young. Nora realized she didn’t know his exact age. Suddenly she asked, “How old are you?”

Gage was startled by the question, then laughed. “Why you want to know now?”

“I just realized I didn’t know your age exactly and felt I should probably know that.”

“I’m not sure. 37, maybe?” Maybe 36. I can’t remember.”

Fuck, yeah that is old enough to settle down at some point if he wanted to. She knew he wanted to be free to do whatever he wanted, having a kid would ruin that. She listened to her instinct, she had to run. Right now, she needed to act normal while she formulated a plan. She could probably hide in Goodneighbor for a bit, Hancock would help her get away. She needed to do it now, before she was too far along and too obviously pregnant. That would make her a massive target. 

She decided to leave Mackenzie out of it. They would come for her and if she knew anything she would be hurt. Maybe. Nora imagined that once Gage realized she was gone, he would lose his mind. She needed to be far by the time he realized she was gone. She needed to form a plan. She sat quietly with Gage in the loft, scheming away. 

The next day, she had a plan. A shotty plan but it was something. If she could have a disturbance in the park, something Gage had to take care of for a few hours or more, it would give her time to slip away. She sent him to the diner to get her some food and he actually left without arguing or whining about it for once. As soon as she heard the lift hit the bottom, she grabbed her pack and threw everything in it she would need. She shoved the pack in the corner out of the way, in a place where it could not seem suspicious but she could easily grab it to run. 

Gage returned with her food, putting it on a plate for her and everything. She sat to eat, and he was… fucking picking up around the loft? What the fuck? He was fucking cleaning? Too engrossed in her own thoughts, she didn’t notice him pick up some of her clothes, folding them to put them in the dresser. Before she could stop him, he opened a drawer, and then froze. She looked up at him to see the rage on his face. 

“Where is all of your shit?”

She blushed. Shit. Think, think fast. Act dumb. “What’s that?”

He shoved the drawer closed so hard the dresser rocked. “What in the fuck is all of your shit? I know it was here earlier cause you went in there to get dressed.”

“I don’t know, most of it is all dirty.”

He looked at her, then around the room. He eyed her pack, and she couldn’t stop herself. She ran to grab it before he did, but he was faster. Holding her off with an arm, he grabbed the pack with the other arm and dumped out it’s contents. Out spilled everything she had that she could put in it. He threw the pack down on the pile and turned on her. 

His face was pure rage. Rage and pain. Nora backed up from him, tripping over some of her items that had rolled across the floor. He kept stepping forward and suddenly she hit a wall, and cowered back against it. 

He put his hands up against the wall, pinning her and leaning in so that his face was a breath away. “You fucking leaving me?”

It was Mac all over again. She would need to do this all fucking over again. Break her heart and his. This time felt worse. She resisted the urge to hold her stomach in protection. She stuck her chin out at him, defiant. It didn’t have the same effect on Gage as Mac, there was a rumbling in his chest. “Fucking answer me, you fucking leaving me?”

He was just pressing further as she stayed quiet, moving his body closer to her. That fear bubbled up in her again. He was fucking pissed. She took a deep breath and tried to maintain a level of cool. “I just think I have done all I can do here. Time for me to go.”

This time he did growl. “So you are just going to, what? Leave me in the middle of the night? Leave everything we built together, after all we have been through? I was just a fucking stand in, wasn’t I?”

Nora couldn’t lie, not like she did with Mac. She couldn’t do that all over again. She let herself melt against him, laying her forehead on his chest. He didn’t move away, but he didn’t move his arms from pinning her. “No, you were never a stand in, for anyone or anything. You have no idea how special you are to me, what you mean to me. You are my world.”

“Then why you fucking leaving me?”

“I just can’t be here anymore.”

“Is this because of you being sick? I told you, I will take care of you. If you need a cure, we will find it. Fuck, we can leave tomorrow morning.” His voice was growing softer as she leaned against him. 

She couldn’t give in, though. She had to leave. She couldn’t lie like she did with Mac, and tell him she didn’t love him. But she needed to go, and needed to go now before he broke her resolve. Her face almost buried in his chest she cried out, “Please just let me go. I won’t do anything bad to you, you can have the park. Everything you needed me to do is done. You don’t need me anymore, please let me go.”

Suddenly he stepped back from her, dropping his arms. “Go. Get your shit, and go. I don’t want you here anymore.”

Nora’s heart shattered, she didn’t want this. She wanted to run to him and beg for forgiveness and tell him everything, but his face was stone. He had set his mind, she had hurt him, and he wanted her gone. This was what she needed to have happen, right?

He watched her gather her things to put in her pack, putting her armor on with shaking hands. He just stood with his arms over his chest. Picking up her pack, she stepped over to the lift and got on it, her heart crushing under the weight of everything. She took one last look at him and his face of stone, and saw his eye. In his eye was just the look of pure heartbreak, and she swore she saw a tear threatening to fall. Instinctively, she grasped a hand at her belly and gently rubbed there, trying to give some comfort to herself and her unborn child as she hit the button on the lift. As she went down, holding her stomach, she looked at him one last time. This time, his mouth was open and his hands were in fists at his side, then she reached the bottom and he was gone. 

Gage was fucking pissed. Pissed at this goddamn bitch for making feel all this stupid ass shit. She wanted to leave, fuck she can leave. The look on her face and the sound in her voice when she asked him to please let her go, fuck. He wouldn’t keep her against her will. But she was hiding something from him, and he had an idea. The way she held her stomach. He couldn’t know for sure, maybe it was a reflex cause she had been thinking of her kid, Shaun. He grabbed a bottle and settled in a chair that looked over the park. She was probably on the monorail by now, and he was going to get good and drunk. Drink all of this shit away. Fuck that bitch. Right? 

1 MONTH LATER

Gage wasn’t sure if he was hungover or still drunk. It all kind of melted together at this point. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed since she left. His first instinct was to leave the loft, sleep elsewhere, but he couldn’t bring himself to. He should go find him a drunk raider bitch and fuck his pain away, but all he could do was drink and stare off out the window. How dare this woman leave him fucking pining. He tried to curse her in his mind, call her every name he could think of but his fucking heart wouldn’t let him. 

When the lift started up, he was ashamed at how excited that he got over the thought of it being her. Suddenly, a familiar face popped up, with a kid in tow. 

Fucking Macready. Goddammit, Gage didn’t want to deal with this fuck, and especially not his brat. Macready just took one look at him, looked at the kid and said, “Duncan, sit over there in that chair.” The kid followed the order, sitting in a large chair on the other side of the room, getting a comic book out to read.   
Macready just looked at him for a minute, then sighed. “Where is she?”

“Fuck if I know, she left.”

“Sucks, doesn’t it?”

Gage didn’t know what compelled him to do so, but he poured the man a drink and one for himself. Macready took it then quipped, “I don’t know if you need anymore of this poison but far be it from me to tell you how to deal.”

“The fuck do you want?”

“I need to find Nora.”

“Told you, I don’t know where she went. Left a few weeks ago.”

Macready turned pale. Gage was suddenly interested in why he would show up suddenly. “Why do you need to find her, you got your caps, right?”

“Oh, I got my caps alright. And a lovely little letter, too.” Gage remembered the day she got the trunk together. She must have written a letter and put it in the trunk. 

“Well?”

Macready just stared at him and sighed, giving in and handing Gage the letter. Gage just looked at it for a moment, then started rolling his eyes over the written lines. At first he was more pissed, then hurt, then sick. He handed it back to Macready, hand shaking. 

“Like I said, Gage. I need to find her. We need to find her.”

“I ain’t stupid. It probably ain’t mine, probably yours.”

Macready shook his head. “I pulled out every time. I was always careful. What about you?”

Gage shifted his feet. “I wasn’t as careful as I should have been. Fuck man, you know how it is. With all the radiation and shit, most women can’t get pregnant.”

“Yeah, and she ain’t from this world. She is prewar, she hasn't been as damaged by radiation.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah.”

The two men just stared at each other, and Gage started putting his armor on. “Well, let’s find her. You knew her in the Commonwealth, knew where she would go. Let’s go.” Then Gage looked over at the kid. “Is he safe to come?”

“Yeah, kid is a great shot and listens. We won’t be putting ourselves in any danger more than anyone else traveling here. We got rid of most of the gunners, everything else is easy to handle.” He whistled at Duncan and he got up, putting his comic book away. “We gotta go find a friend of mine, alright? This is Gage. I know he looks scary but he is a good man, you got it?”

Gage was surprised. The kid stuck out his hand to shake. “Hey Gage, I’m Duncan.”

“Hey kid. Ready to find a stubborn ass woman?” The kid couldn’t be more than 6, but his eyes were older. He just smiled at Gage. 

“Yeah, let’s go on an adventure!”

Macready just shook his head as they all got on the lift. “You might be reading too many comic books, and that is bad coming from me.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gage and Mac go after Nora. Nora's emotions are high with the pregnancy and everything else.

Nora was miserable, as always. Sitting in the State house of Goodneighbor, with Hancock’s watchful eye and Amari coming in to lecture her constantly it was enough to pull her hair out. When she left Gage, as soon as she was on the monorail, she regretted it. It was an emotional impulse but it was too late, he was sick of her shit and wanted her gone. She was losing weight instead of gaining, and any other time she would have been happy about that. The nausea didn’t seem to pass, plus she was incredibly depressed about the whole situation. She missed Gage more than anything. 

Stretched out on the couch, Hancock came over and took a seat on the couch across from her. “Hey, Sunshine. You need to eat. Amari said she could see your ribs, and that ain’t good for the baby.”

“Hancock, I am trying. Just get off my back, please. I can’t handle being bitched at right now.”

Hancock sighed and resigned to her, taking a hit of jet and lighting a cigarette. She went to reach for a smoke and he snatched it back. “Not until you eat. You eat first, then you can smoke. You ain’t even supposed to be smokin’ but most mom’s out here do worse.”

This time Nora sighed, and took a handle of the food off the plate in front of her and put it in her mouth, slowly chewing. It was taking energy she didn’t have to masticate, and she already felt drained. She managed to eat the food he brought her, he always brought her hot and fresh meals, and then he gave her a smoke. She propped her feet up on the table as the gray smoke swirled up and over her head. Too many emotions were swimming around in her brain. “Fuck,” she muttered through tears.

Hancock gave her a weak smile. “I know, Sunshine. But I got you, we will figure this all out. I promise. You are very important to me, and I will make sure you and the babe are cared for, if you have to live here forever. So let’s not worry about that right now. Right now you need to worry about resting, and putting some weight back on.”

Nora looked down at her arms, they were much too skinny. Her collarbone jutted out from her skin. Fuck, if she wasn’t pregnant she would actually be attractive. She closed her eyes and leaned back on the couch. 

“I got some mayoral duties to attend to, I will be back later. I brought you some books I think you will like. Try to take a nap, too.”

Nora smiled at Hancock with her eyes closed. “You are too good to me.”

“Sunshine, I don’t think anyone could be too good to you. I’ll be back later, call the guards if you need anything.”

With that, Hancock left. Nora picked up one of the romance novels and tried to read it, but all she could think of was Gage. She got up carefully and slowly, stepping over to the bed they put in the corner for her. Laying down, she cuddled with a pillow to her chest and let sobs some. Tears fell on the fabric of the pillow, yellow with stains from all the tears she has shed since being there. 

Gage and Mac and his brat had been walking for a bit, having just gotten off the monorail. They were quiet, but Gage finally spoke up. “Why are we even bothering with doing this? She wanted to leave.”

Mac sighed. “No, she didn’t. I guarantee you that she didn’t.”

“Yeah? You know her so well? Didn’t she leave you?”

“That was different, Gage. I know she didn’t want to leave you. Look, Nora has been through some sh- stuff in her life. I mean, most of us have, but she has had it pretty bad. I am sure she talked about her husband with you, right?”

Gage nodded. “Fucking asshole.”

“Right. And since she has been in the world, all the stuff with her kid. All the while, for that two years that we were hunting, some really messed up stuff happened to her. I was a merc when she met me, a gun for hire. She hired me, wanna know why?”

Gage just nodded. 

“Because she had been trying to find someone, can’t remember who. Been out of the vault for a few months but she handled herself pretty well. I am just gonna come out with it, but she was raped by a gang of gunners. Spooked her pretty bad, she came into the Third Rail all beat up and crying. She paid me to be an extra gun, to look over her. After a while, I was doing it for free. And all that time she was with me, more bad shit happened to her. I did everything I could to protect her but man that woman has some bad luck.”

“Damn.” Gage didn’t know what else to say. He was processing everything Mac just said. 

“My wife, the one who died. Lucy. She was a lot like Nora. She had been through a lot of stuff in her life, abuse and bad men from a young age. She was a good woman, though. Like Nora. But she was jumpy. Jumpy, emotional, and impulsive. Pregnancy just made it worse. Women already get kinda crazy during pregnancy, add a past of abuse to it and it becomes volatile. Many times Lucy freaked out and ‘left’ me when she was pregnant. It was always impulsive, and she always came back. I think that is what happened with Nora, I think she regrets it but is too afraid of you to come back.”

“She ain’t got no reasons to be afraid of me, I would never hurt her.”

“You ain’t the first man to say that though, and they tend to turn around and hurt her.”

“So where are we going, anyway?”

“Goodneighbor. She is close with Hancock and the place is heavily guarded. We are going there first. If she ain’t there, well. We will figure it out then.”

Gage looked up at the sky, the sun was beginning to go down. “We should find shelter for the night. Kid shouldn’t be out on the roads after dark.”

Mac smiled. “See, look at your daddy side already coming out.”

“Fuck off. I see a shack up ahead, let’s get there and make some dinner. I wanna be out by first light.”

They made it to the shack and Mac went inside to set up defenses for the night, and Gage stepped inside and set to making some food for them. Duncan sat quietly, reading his comic book, his eyelids heavy. Gage smiled at him, the kid was probably exhausted. He heated up some food and gave him a plate, and Gage and mac fed themselves.

As soon as he was done eating, Duncan passed out sitting up. Mac chuckled, rolling out a sleeping bag and setting him on it, floppy like a ragdoll. Gage was watching the whole thing. “I don’t know if I am set up to be a dad.”

“I thought the same thing, too. I still mess up a lot. I am sure you will be fine. I mean yeah you are a raider, but I was a gun for hire running with the gunners when Lucy got pregnant. Doesn’t mean you can’t take care of them.”

Gage thought about this as he laid on his own bedroll. He had a lot of thinking to do. Of course he wanted to find Nora to make sure she was safe, but having a kid? Fuck, he still didn’t know if he was ready for it. He knew his whole life would change. Then again, he never expected to fall in love with a cute little vault dweller, either. This thought made him smile, and he allowed himself to drift off to sleep, her face on the back of his eyelids. 

Nora and Hancock were sharing a meal, as usual. Them eating consisted of both of them picking at their food. Nora had been able to eat a little more, but not rough. She knew she needed to eat but her mind was still swimming. Hancock was telling her a funny anecdote when Fahr came in the room, body tense. “Hancock, I need to speak with you.”

“What’s up, Fahr?”

“Privately.”

“What you tell me, I am going to tell her anyway.”

She shifted from foot to foot. “Fine. Scouts out a ways have spotted Gage, looks to be heading this way. He is traveling with Macready, they have a kid with them.”

Nora dropped the cup she was holding and it shattered on the floor. “Hancock I need to get out of here.”

“Sunshine, do you think if he wanted to hurt you, he would travel with Mac and what I assume to be his kid? Come on, push past those emotions and be rational.”

“Hancock, I am leaving with or without your help. Make your choice.”

Fahr cleared her throat. “This is why I wanted to tell you in private.” She looked at Nora, “Look, I know you are going through some shit, but please use your brain. I think they just want to know you are okay. You are pregnant.”

“Well when they get here Hancock can tell them that I am fine and don’t need them. I will pack my things,” Nora said with a scoff. 

Hancock turned to Fahr. “How far off are they?”

“Considering travel time for the scouts, they should be here soon.”

Nora began dashing around. Run, take flight, get away. Her brain was a mess of fuzzy static. Maybe Diamond City? She could go to Valentine. They had good security there that wouldn’t let those men in. Running around so much had her dizzy, and she had to sit a minute to catch her breath. “Sunshine, you were just on your feet for a few minutes and you are already winded. I can’t let you leave like this. Look, when they show up, I promise to protect you. I won’t let anything-”

Nora interrupted him by jumping up to finish getting her pack together. “No, I am not going to bring this into Goodneighbor. I need to get out of here, like right now. Before they show up.”

“I will hold you down if I have to, and it won’t take much on my end because you are too weak to even eat.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

Hancock and Fahr both moved closer to her, and Nora jumped back. “I thought you were my friend, Hancock.”

“I am, and I am looking out for your best interests here. If you try to run, you are going to get hurt.”

Nora put her pack on her back. “Fuck off, asshole.” The fuzzy static in her brain just got worse, and she breathed off the dizziness. She ran out of the State house and towards the gates of Goodneighbor. Looking back, she watched Hancock from the balcony, watching her. She just turned and went out the gate, making sure it was clear, and started walking away. 

Gage and Mac made it to Goodneighbor in decent enough time, and that ghoul was standing outside waiting, just like before. This time, he wasn’t as calm and amused. He looked pissed. 

“Where is she?” Gage demanded.

“Yeah, we are working on that. Getting a squad together now for a search and rescue.” Gage saw red, about to start killing anything in sight. “I know, man. I know. She has been here, left not too long ago when we heard from scouts you were heading here. Not gonna lie, it ain’t good. She has been really weak and sick, been on bedrest. She couldn’t have made it far. Come inside, we will leave soon.”

Gage nearly stumbled. She ran again. She didn’t regret leaving him. As soon as she heard he was coming, she ran even in her weakened state. “Y’all get on that. I am heading back to Nuka World. Best of luck.”

Mac rolled his eyes. “Come on, man. She is just being stubborn. She couldn’t have gone far, we will find her quickly. Duncan, I am going to leave you with Miss Daisy.”

“She don’t want me around. As sick as she is, she ran when she heard I was coming. I am just going to make it worse.”

Hancock opened the gates to let them in, and beckoned for Gage. When he didn’t come, Hancock looked square at him. “You know she lost a ton of weight, right? Looks all emaciated. Can’t eat or sleep for shit. All she talks about is you and cries. I think she is just really scared and doesn’t know how to handle all of this.”

Gage paled. Emaciated? Women aren’t supposed to lose weight when pregnant. He remembered his own mom losing weight in pregnancy and she had a stillborn. She must be really, really sick. Shit. He just nodded and followed them in the gate, where a team of three people with guns waited. That Fahr woman was there, too. 

“Alright, my guess is she went to Diamond City. She probably thought they have better security and no one would be let in. We split into two teams, one going each direction towards the city, and we should find her. Probably hasn’t gone too far in her state, but we need to be careful. Super mutants have been doing patrols.” Fahr said.  
Gage made a noise in his throat and tried to not think about Nora running from a suicider. The group split up into two teams, Mac and Gage going with one and Hancock and Fahr with the other. They started walking through the ruined downtown of the Commonwealth, and with each step Gage’s heart went further into his stomach. 

They had been walking for about twenty minutes, no one talking to listen around, when Gage swore he heard a whimper. Halting the group, he stood still, listening. He heard it again, coming from an alley. Running at top speed, he saw a boot sticking out from behind a dumpster, Nora’s boot. Almost feeling like he could cry, he ran to her. She was sitting down, her arms holding her stomach, eyes closed as she laid against the wall. 

“Nora? Sweetheart? Come on, let’s get you out of here.” She didn’t respond to him, and when he reached for her, her head just lolled and she slid sideways. “Fuck! I found her!” The group was behind him already, and he picked her up in his arms. Her body flopped like a rag doll, and he thought of Duncan the other night when he was asleep. He held her close to his chest, careful of his armor. She let out that whimpering noise again and her head fell back over his arm. 

Carefully and quickly they headed back to Goodneighbor, and they sent out a scout to tell the other team. Gage ran to the State house and sent for the doctor. Running upstairs, he found what he assumed to be where she slept and set her down carefully, then sat on the bed beside her, holding her hand. He didn’t expect to feel this way, he wanted to be full of rage at her. But she was so thin. He could wrap his fingers around her wrist and it overlapped past the knuckle. He could see her bones sticking out, and the small hard stomach was showing through her tank top. 

“Fuck, Nora.” His voice cracked as he looked her over. She had bruises everywhere. He cupped her cheek and silently begged her to just wake up, to wake up and apologize, crawl into his lap and say she never meant it all and that she loved him. But she didn’t, she laid on the bed, her breathing ragged. 

The doctor rushed in and stood on the other side of the bed from Gage. He didn’t move. He would move if she asked him to but he wasn’t leaving Nora’s side. The doctor appeared to be checking her pulse, then clicked her tongue. She felt Nora’s forehead and nodded her head. “Her pulse is weak and thready, and she has a fever. For now, she needs rest. When she wakes up, she needs,” she looked at Gage, “minimal stress. I need to check the baby as much as I can.”

Gently, she placed her hands on Nora’s stomach, pushing in with her palm at spots. She held her hand still for a moment, then smiled. “The baby is still moving, that is good. Mom needs rest, I am putting her on a strict bedrest. Only on her feet when necessary, until further notice.”

Gage was still watching Nora. “I’ll make sure she does it.” He was firm, and the doctor nodded then stepped out of the room. Hancock was in the doorway with Mac. 

Hancock cleared his throat. “Hey man, I ain’t gotta worry about you hurting my Sunshine, do I?” Gage just glared at him. “Alright, alright. Just making sure. We are gonna be down at the Rail, call one of the guards if you need anything.”

The men left, and Gage was alone with her. He cupped her cheek again, and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. She made a small noise and he chuckled. “Stop fighting it, sweetheart. I am here to stay.” The bed was large enough for two to lay comfortably, and he was exhausted. Stepping over to the other side and shedding his armor and boots, he crawled into bed next to her. He didn’t crowd her, just laid on his side with his head on his arm, watching her. He placed his other hand over hers, thumb rubbing her wrist. He stared at her until he fell asleep himself, worry plaguing his mind. 

Gage laid next to her the whole night and throughout the next day. She hasn’t woken up and it worried him. She slept fitfully, fevers and then the fever breaking, causing her to sweat. She whimpered and cried in her sleep, and Gage cooed at her and wiped away her tears. He tried talking to her, as calmly as he could, telling her he loved her and wouldn’t hurt her. He hoped wherever she was in her head, that she could hear him and it would bring her back to him. 

Around noon, Hancock brought him food and some beers. “You need to eat, brother. Can’t be getting as sick as she is.” 

Gage was sitting up on the bed, head against the headboard. “She ain’t woke up yet.”

“I know.”

“Why ain’t she woken up yet?”

Hancock shrugged, setting the food on a table by the bed. “I don’t know, brother. I think that she has some shit she needs to work through in her head, and she won’t sit still long enough to do it. So her body is finally forcing her to.”

Gage nodded. That made sense, kind of. Hancock gave him a wave and left, and Gage could hear the jet inhaler from the other room. He set his hand on her head, thumb rubbing her forehead, trying to give her any comfort that he could. Looking at her was rough with how thin she was and all the bruises. What were the bruises from? With the other hand he reached for a beer, and ate some of the food. Having a smoke, he laid back down next to her in his regular position of watching her. Watching and waiting. 

This went on for three more days. Nora was making more noise in her sleep, and it seemed like she was talking though it was all mumbles. Gage swore he heard his name, and Shaun’s, and some others. 

This time Macready came in, but he didn’t bring food. “Alright, man. Put your boots on. You need to get out for a bit.”

“What if she wakes up and I am not here?”

“We won’t be gone long. You need to get up, move around. We will just go to the rail for some food and a drink, and you can come right back.”

Gage knew he was right. He couldn’t let himself become sick and weak, too. He had someone to take care of now, it wasn’t all about him. Sitting up, he reached for his boots. “Alright, but make it quick. She has nightmares and I need to be here.”

Mac just smiled at him. “You will be, it’s fine. Come on, let’s get you some fresh air.” 

Hancock was already coming in, and pulling up a chair beside the bed. “I got it covered. Go take care of yourself for twenty minutes, it will be fine.”

Gage went to the rail and was miserable the whole time. His foot tapped repeatedly and his knee bobbed up and down with anxiety. He ate the food and threw back the drink, anxious to get back to Nora. They went back to the house and Gage ran back up the stairs, two at a time. Nora was still in the same spot, Hancock reading in the chair next to her. “No changes. Why don’t you take a shower? It is right next door, I can holler if something happens.”

Gage didn’t want to be away from her any longer, but a shower was probably a good idea. He hasn't cleaned himself up since Nuka World. Hurriedly he undressed in the bathroom and washed himself off, letting the lukewarm water run over his bare face, eye patch removed as well. His mind wandered to that day in Covenant, when she had him take a bath, then spent all that time washing every inch of him and massaging his feet. She even kissed his toes. He smiled at the memory. He remembered asking if she did this for her husband and her face had gone dark. She had told him no, she never treated him like this. Gage frowned and felt an urge to punch the wall. He had told her to leave. She was begging him to let her go and he let his emotions take over when he should have taken care of her. 

She always took care of him. The day at Safari she had taken care of him first. She always made sure he was safe, or healed if injured. She had made him food and pressed sweet kisses to his cheek when he was jealous or upset. When Mac had shown to Nuka World, she had made it clear with her actions who she loved and was with. He thought about Mac. How she had taken out gunner bosses for him, found a cure for his kid. 

She took out the Institute because they were hurting people. The brotherhood for the same. She took out Covenant because they tortured people. In her own fucked up way, she had made this place better for everyone, and took care of those she cared for. He thought of the day at Galactic Zone when he had looked longingly at the power armor and she had put her little hand on her arm and promised it to him. The way she smiled up at him, the way she half skipped when she was excited. 

Gage realized that he was crying in the shower, his tears mixing with the water running down his face. He shut off the water and dried off outside, putting his own clothes back on. Stepping back into the room, he hoped that Nora was up and going to smile at him as he walked in, but no changes. Hancock saw him as he walked in and snapped his book shut. “Alright, brother. I’ll come back later with some food for you.”

Gage took his position next to her, staring at her face, wincing in her sleep. He wanted to brush the look away. Instead, he looked down at her body. Laying on his side with his head propped on his elbow, he gently ran his fingers down her stomach. Not anything sexual, not like this. No, he wanted to just feel her warmth. As his hand rested against her stomach, he felt something. He jumped back, then put his hand back in the same spot. Almost like a little rumbling, a little kick. Like the baby inside her was doing somersaults. He smiled, holding his hand there to feel the movements, falling asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora is working through some shit, Gage opens up more about his past. Talks about child loss in this chapter.

Nora was sitting on a bench by the man-made lake, a stone's throw from her house. She came here sometimes when she needed a break. The sun was setting, and that rich golden hour was spreading hues across the water that made her breathless. Part of her wished she remembered to bring her sketchbook, and the other part of her was glad to just sit and watch. She let herself just go, just relax, her shoulders drooping. She took a deep breath and wondered why she didn’t smell anything, but didn’t dwell on it. She heard footsteps behind her, but didn’t move to see who it was. Only one person would know where she had escaped to. “Hello, Nate.”

“Nora.” He sat on the bench beside her, not waiting for an invitation. 

Nora just rolled her eyes and huffed. “What do you need?”

“We need to talk.”

“We always need to talk.”

“Seriously, Nora. You need to let go.”

Her body went rigid. “What do you mean, let go?”

“Look, Nora. I’m not a good man, we both know this. Knew this when we started messing around, and we had to face the consequences of our actions. You brought out a dark side in me. Then I went to war, and I just got worse. I deserve your hate, and I am not asking for forgiveness. Fuck, I don’t want forgiveness. But you need to let go.”

Nora’s body was running cold. What was he talking about? Was he talking about all the times he had hurt her? “I’m confused. What is going on?”

Nate just looked at her and gave her a small smile. “I have to go. But please, just let go. You can’t keep this up for forever, and it is going to ruin you. Goodbye, Nora.”

Nora looked over the lake, which had started to go dark. She swore that some of it had dried up quickly. What was going on? She looked back at Nate to ask him, but he was gone. Nora should have been afraid, but only felt confusion. Lighting a smoke, she shifted how she sat on the bench. 

Nora hadn’t kept track of how long she was out here. Bored of sitting, she went for a walk in the woods by the lake. Talk trees hung over the pathway, leaves shedding at the beginning of fall. She heard footsteps rustling leaves behind her and she smirked. “Never could stay away for too long, Nate. Back to get some more words in?” But when she turned, it wasn’t Nate standing before her. It was an old man with gray hair and a beard. Her head began to hurt as memories that seemed to belong to someone else flooded back. Memories of a world destroyed by man’s folly.   
“Hello, Mother.” The man said softly. 

“Who are you?” Nora stuttered out. 

“I am Shaun, your child. I know that your memory is faulty right now, but we need to talk. Come, walk with me.”

Nora was suspicious of this loon, but she followed. He seemed harmless enough. He walked with his hands behind his back, head up and eyes off in the distance. Nora watched him, not trying to hide it. Finally, he cleared his throat. “I know Dad visited you, and I know what he said. He is right, you need to let go.”

“Getting real tired of hearing that, you know.”

He chuckled. “You probably are, but it is the truth. Look, you have had to do what you do to do in order to survive.”

A piercing pain shot through her frontal lobe, and she gasped as she held her head. More memories flooded back in. Things were starting to become clear. The world was destroyed by bombs. She was frozen into the future. Nate was killed. And she killed… “I killed you,” she said in a whisper, like a confession. “I killed you, Shaun.”

He nodded solemnly. “Yes, you did. You did not like what I had become.”

“Oh, Shaun.” She ran and threw her arms around him. “Shaun…” Tears started to flow. Gently, he put his arms around her in a hug that was too friendly, not one that one gives to their mother. She pulled back from the hug. “I’m sorry.”

“Are you? Don’t you feel like you made the right choice?”

They began walking again, and Nora thought for a moment. “Yes, I do. But I am still sorry. Sorry that the world became a place where I had to do that. Maybe it was for the best, you know? Nate was not a good man, and as far as I know, you were treated well and cared for in the Institute.”

He nodded again. “I really was, I promise. I know Kellogg came off as a bad person, but he saw in me the child he lost. After he cared for me, the scientists that watched over me and taught me made sure I was nurtured. This is something I have thought about a lot. I wonder the man I would have become if I grew up watching your husband beat and hurt you.”

Nora winced. “You know about all of that?”

“Once I was old enough at the Institute, I was informed of this. I am sorry you went through that, you deserve better, you know.”  
“I am not sure if I do.” They reached a clearing, and Nora looked around at the wildflowers growing. 

Shaun looked at her. “He is a better man, you know this.”

Nora had no idea what they were talking about again. She hugged Shaun one more time, knowing he would leave soon, too. He patted her back and said again, “Let it all go, Mom.”

Nora closed her eyes to the tears, and felt Shaun disappear from her arms once more. She collapsed on the ground and screamed at the top of her lungs. Letting the tears flow once more, she tangled with the feeling of losing her child once more. She lay on her back in the meadow, and watched the sky as it turned to night, the stars glittering above her. 

Nora again heard the footsteps. This time she didn’t assume who it was. As she laid in the meadow all of her memories were coming back. She now realized she was stuck in a different time and place, but she wasn’t panicking. This place almost seemed better. She opened her eyes and saw the eye patch before anything else. She didn’t move, didn’t say anything. 

“Hello, Nora.” The man sat down next to her, and she got up and sat cross legged in front of him. “We have a lot of things to talk about.”

“Yes, we do. I don’t know where to start.”

“Start from the beginning, I guess.”

“I don’t even know where the beginning is. I barely know who you are.”

He just watched her with his one eye. Slowly, he pulled her into his lap, and brought her in for a kiss. Nothing too heavy, just a sweet brush of lips. She gasped under his touch. “Gage.”

He chuckled against her mouth. “There you go, sweetheart.”

“Oh, Gage.” The tears started again as she threw her arms over his neck. “If you never forgave me, I would understand.”

Gage pressed his forehead against hers, and they sat there for a long time, just like that. “We have a lot to talk about, baby,” he repeated. 

“I know, Gage.”

“But we can’t do that here.”

“Why not?”  
“Because you need to wake up and come back to me. You know I won’t hurt you. But you have been asleep for a long time, and I understand that you had to work some stuff out, get shown some things. But I need you to come back to me, babe.” 

Nora stared at him. The world around her started getting darker, the air more harsh. She gasped as the flowers disappeared and the trees crumbled. Gage held her tight in his lap, protecting her, his lips reaching hers again. “Come back to me, I am here. Please, just wake up and come back to me.” His voice was cracking. He was feeling lighter in her arms, like he was lifting away.

“Gage, don’t go!”

“I’m not going anywhere, I am right here,” he said as the man in her arms started to turn to darkness. 

Nora screamed until her throat burned. She felt hands on her shoulders, lifting her gently. Everything was dark, she couldn’t see even with her eyes open. She lashed out at the hands gripping her but couldn’t catch anything. She started to choke on her cries and suddenly felt exhausted, weak. Then out of nowhere, a bright light came through the darkness and she shielded her eyes from it. Nausea wracked her body and she turned to throw up, but nothing came up but bile. 

The hands on her shoulders just patted her back, pulling her hair back.She was brave enough finally to open her eyes, and she looked around the room she was in. She was on a bed, and turned back to the man that held her. It only took a moment for it all to come flooding back. She threw herself in his arms, as well as she could in her state. He helped her and gripped her to him. “Gage.”

“It’s okay.”

More sobs erupted from her. She felt a hundred things at once. Pain, hurt, shame, guilt, humiliation, love. “Gage.” His name was all that would fall from her lips as he cradled her in his lap. 

He just pressed kisses to her forehead. “It’s okay, baby.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“I know.”

“I’m so scared.”

He gripped her tighter. “Don’t. Not right now. I’m here, I ain’t leavin, alright? We got time.”

Suddenly she felt a comfort wash over her body that she didn’t feel like she deserved, but it flushed over her anyway. She needed to let go of the past, and move on with her new family. It was a chance to start over. The man who held her tight came to find her. The baby in her stomach fluttered, as if agreeing with her. His hand was there, and he moved to feel it kick, smiling. She couldn’t look at him. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

“We will talk about it later. You need to eat, now. You are entirely too skinny. What are these bruises from?” His voice was hard as he frowned at her. 

“Amari said it is from some deficiency, probably from iron. The slightest pressure and I bruise. I bruise from sitting, anything. I will probably have bruises where you are holding me.” He snapped back, moving to let go of her, and she moved closer to him. “Don’t. Don’t treat me like I am delicate, I want you to hold me.”

“Nora, right now you are delicate. And you need to let me take care of you.” As he said it, Hancock came in with a tray of food. 

“Welcome back, Sunshine. Now, eat. Strict orders from Amari: total bed rest and lots of food.”

Nora opened her mouth to argue, there was too much to do, but the men stared at her with hard looks so she knew she had to succumb. “I need to use the bathroom, first.”

Gage nodded, reluctantly moving his arms away. Nora slowly went to stand, and as soon as she was on her feet she wavered. “Fuck.”

Gage got up, and held her around the waist. “I got you.”

“You gonna help me use the toilet?”

“Yeah, now shut the fuck up and walk.” They slowed headed to the restroom, and he hadn’t lied. He helped her pull her pants down and sit on the toilet, and stood nearby as she emptied her bladder. She wiped herself off, and stood so he could help her pull up her pants. Nora decided this was the most unsexy thing that they could do, besides him doing this when she needed to shit, but damn if it didn’t warm her heart for him. 

“I don’t deserve you, Gage,” she whispered as he buttoned her pants up.

He frowned, looking at the waistband sagging over her hip bones that jutted out from her skin under the hard stomach that was showing a baby bump. “Come on, let’s go get some food in you. Seein’ you like this is killin’ me.”

They made it back to the bedroom, and she slightly sat on the bed and nibbled on the food. She was actually hungry now, but didn’t want to upset her stomach from eating too fast. She was watching Gage, his face covered in worry. “What’s eatin’ you?” She asked.   
He looked down at the beer in his hand. “You know my story, about my parents. You know they were settlers. They were as in love as anyone could be, I think that is what made them get through it all, you know. I told you I was twelve when I left, I grew up fast and hard. When I was eight, I was pretty much a teenager. My mom got pregnant. There were already three of us, and one more mouth to feed. Harvest that year was bad, and the raiders were worse. We had nothing. My mom had to choose between feeding her kids, or the baby in her belly. Usually she chose feeding the children who cried in hunger in front of her.”

Nora reached out and took his hand, and rubbed his wrist with her thumb. He continued on. “It was killing my dad. Think he felt like less of a man and fuck, I think he kinda was for letting the raiders take food from his woman’s mouth. Lots of times I gave up my food to give her. She got real skinny, like you, and then worse. The pregnancy continued. I think she was like, seven or eight months along, and she went into labor. Fuck, it was too early but shit like that happens to most people. My dad pushed me and my brother and sister out of the house, and we sat out on the front steps while listening to her scream. Finally the screaming stopped, and it turned to sobs. We went inside, and my mom was holding a tiny gray baby, it’s feet and hands deformed like they never finished being made.”

He gulped, and Nora moved closer to him. “It was one of the most horrible things I ever seen, that stillborn baby. All because my mom lost too much weight and my dad too much of a pussy to take care of his family right. I just stood in the corner, staring. My mother held that baby all night long, clutching it to her chest like she couldn’t let go. Finally in the morning my dad made her let it go, and I helped him bury it. He tried to have a talk with me about death and shit but I just spit on the ground and turned from him. After that, I had no respect for him. My mother was never the same after that. She didn’t laugh and sing, she didn’t smile as she sewed and told us stories she made up. She took care of us as usual, but all of that was gone.”

He held her hand tighter and stared her in the eye. “I don’t want to see that happen to you. I can’t lose you like that. You being dead and gone would be easier than seeing the fire I so love in you being put out.”

Nora hugged him again. “I promise, I am going to take care of myself better. I wasn't here because, well, I missed you. I regretted leaving as soon as I got on the train but I was scared to go back, you had told me to leave and I thought you were finally done with my shit, that you decided me being overboss wasn’t worth it, that you could get rid of me and go back to your old life. Hancock tried to take care of me but I lost the will to live again.”

He cupped her face. “I need you.”

She kissed him again. “I’m never leaving again, I promise.”

Gage breathed another sigh of relief as Nora greedily ate the food in front of her. A few days had passed, days they spent in bed and Nora eating everything given to her. She was beginning to smile again, reading aloud to him from Hancock’s collection of books. He remembered how much he loved her voice when she read. It went deeper, more serious. 

Suddenly she looked up at him. “Nuka World.”

He laughed. “It is being taken care of. I sent messengers to tell them you are fine and recovering, and things are going well enough there with the gangs being spread out, not down each other’s throats. Don’t worry, I’m taking care of it.”

She frowned into her food. “It isn’t right that you have to take care of everything right now.”

That hurt Gage that she was still worrying about that. “It’s alright. Let me take care of you, take care of things. It is what I am good at. I don’t want to lose either of you.” Nora looked at him confused, then realized what he meant and smiled at him. “That’s right, both of you.”

“I didn’t take you as the fatherly type.”

“Fuck knows I ain’t. Wasn’t the love and relationship type either, and you fucked that all up, too.” She frowned again and he laughed. “I’m kidding. Kinda. Look, everything changed with you and that’s okay. I am a raider, and raiders do what they want. And I always get what I want. Right now, what I want is you, and for the baby to be okay. Never wanted to settle down after my ex, but you came stomping through the gauntlet and flipped me off through the camera and that was it for me.”

Gage watched Nora finish the food in front of her and reached for his beer. “Hey now, only a few sips. You need water.” He laughed again at the look she gave him. 

“You know, that was something I wondered about. When I found out I was pregnant at the clinic and was trying to fight telling you, debating if I even should. That was why I asked you how old you were that day. I figured, you were old enough that if you wanted a family, you would have had one already.”

Gage put the empty plate away and moved her into his lap. If she wasn’t eating, he was usually holding her, reminding himself that she was with him again. As much a comfort to him as her. “You make a point, I will give you that. You know what happened to my ex, I learned the hard way about raider women. After that, stayed away from them except for a quick fuck here and there. I didn’t want a woman that just did chems and fought all of the time, one that would stab me in the back given the chance, and that is most every raider woman.” He kissed her on the cheek. “Every raider woman except you.”

Gage shifted her in his lap. Being so close to her all of the time, with no action, was winding him up. Now every time he held her he got a damn boner. She couldn’t have sex, not yet. Amari had said, with a straight face and looking him right damn in the eye, that an orgasm for her could trigger labor at this point. His cock got even harder when his brain just mentioned orgasm, and he suppressed a groan. 

Leave it to Nora to notice, a sly smile on her face. “Problems, Gage?”

“None at all. You get enough to eat?”

She moved in his lap, her ass pressing against his cock that was now pressing against the zipper of his pants. He winced. “Oh, I’m not hungry anymore, but you seem to be hungry for something else.”

“Not gonna happen. You know what Amari said. And if I gotta keep it in my pants for the full pregnancy, I will. Getting laid ain’t worth either of you getting hurt.”

Nora actually softened in his arms. “You are so unlike my husband.”

“I will take that as a compliment.”

“You should. He made me all through the pregnancy.”

“This is making me lose my boner. Keep going.”

She chuckled, pressing a kiss to his lips, wiggling her ass against him more. Fuck, that got it going again. Gage groaned against her lips, forcing himself to keep his hands to himself. “Come on, Gage. Let me take care of you.”

“We ain’t fucking, or making love, or anything. That is final.”

“We ain’t gotta. I don’t have to do anything to myself, it would be just for you.”

Gage pulled away from her to look at her face. Fuck, he didn’t know if he liked that idea. Fooling around to only get him off, leaving her out of it? Fuck that. He ain’t never done that to a woman, let alone the one he loved. 

“Come on, Gage. You take care of me, let me take care of you.” She was already unzipping his pants, pulling his hardened cock free from its restraints. Just her hands holding his length made him moan, and his hips began to move slightly in her grasp. “See? Look how wound up you are. It will be quick.”

He bit her bottom lip. “I don’t like gettin off and you not. Goes against all my morals.”

“Do it for me? It would make me happy.” Her hands began moving up and down his cock, moving from the base up to the head, slow movements as she used her other hand to grip his balls. Fuck, he wasn’t too far from coming already. She moved to straddle his lap, her hand between them as she rubbed his cock up and down, pressing kisses to his neck. “I love you, Gage. I want you to come for me.” Her voice was harsh and throaty, and she was looking at his face, looking into his eye. “Come on, come for me. I want to feel it. I have missed you so much, miss the way you touch me.” She kissed his neck again, moving down to his collarbone. “I miss how you kiss me, how you lick and touch me, how you take care of me even when we fuck. I miss how your cock will fuck me so hard, but your lips so soft on me.” Her words were having an effect. Nora never talked dirty, but Gage didn’t feel this was all that dirty. His hips thrusted into her hand, and her movements sped up. With no warning, he was coming into her hand, over a month of backed up come shooting onto her shirt. 

Gage’s breath was heavy, groaning out as her hand worked through the orgasm. “Fuck.”

She giggled, and took off her shirt and threw it on the dirty pile, grabbing a cleaner one from the end of the bed. “Feel better?”

“Not really, cause it is unfinished. I need to feel you come apart underneath me as my tongue brings out as many orgasms as you can handle.” Gage felt a sense of pride as her breath hitched. 

“That will have to wait.”

“Yeah, but when the time comes, I am holding you down until you can’t breathe.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead, a move too sweet for what he just said. “I love you.”

“I love you.”


	16. Chapter 16

Nora sat in the chair in Hancock’s office, greedily eating the food in front of her. With Gage back, her hunger had returned full force and she ate everything made for her, but she was having a hard time getting weight back on. Every time Gage watched her change clothes, seeing her bones sticking out from her skin, he made a noise in his throat. 

She was feeling guilty. Her emotions had gotten the better of her and she allowed herself to get sick, not thinking of the child in her body. She couldn’t believe that she ran, that she did everything she did, putting the life of her baby in danger. Suddenly she lost her appetite and she pushed the plate of food away. 

“Sweetheart? You alright?” Gage was sitting in the chair across from her at the table. 

“Yeah, I just feel guilty. I put myself and the baby in danger because of my own irrational emotions. Not to mention the hell I put you through. I can’t imagine what you were up to the month I was gone.” She could imagine Gage being drunk and angry, finding raider women high on chems to fuck to get his mind off of her. 

He seemed to read her mind. “I didn’t do anything bad, Nora. Pretty much sat in the loft and got drunk the whole time. I wanted to leave the loft, everything smelled like you, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t be away from anything that reminded me of you, I needed you close.”

That made her feel more guilty. She tried to control the tears that fell but they escaped anyway. Gage reached over and held her hand. “Don’t worry about it, alright? It’s over and done with. Can’t take it all back, we just gotta move forward. Let it go.”

Nora almost winced at the words. She has been hearing a lot of that. Let it go, let it all go. It was easier said than done, and she felt like she was being forgiven a little too easily. That it was all too easy. Even Macready seemed to be forgiving her, having come to find her when he got the letter. He was currently hanging out at the Third Rail with his son, getting some rest before they headed back to his homestead. 

“What’s on your mind?” Gage asked as he lit a smoke. 

Nora took one for herself. Smoking wasn’t great for the baby but she allowed herself one on occasion. “It’s all just too easy, I feel like everyone is forgiving me too easily and there is a catch.”

“No catch, sweetheart. We all care about you. I know you were going through some shit in your head and that is why you left. I know you had to be struggling to be in a position where you may have put our child in danger. You have beat yourself up enough.”

She smiled at him. “I don’t deserve you.”

He scoffed. “You have no idea what you deserve. You deserve better than me. I’m sorry you are stuck with an old, dirty raider.”

She got a smirk on her face as she stood up, slowly making her way over to Gage and kneeling in front of him in the chair. “What can I say, I have always had a thing for the bad boys.”

She began unzipping his pants and his hand came down to cup her face. “Is that so?”

“Hmm. And you aren’t that old. We are almost the same age, you know. Well, if you don’t count the centuries I was in cryo.” She took his cock out of her pants as she was talking, mindlessly rubbing it up and down in her fist. “If you do count that, I am almost 270 years old, so I am a cradle robber.”

He laughed and his hand moved to her hair, gripping it in his fist. She moaned as he gently pulled on it, then a surprise yank made her gasp out. She looked at him with lust in her eyes and he growled. “Fuck, Nora. I want to make you come over and over. This shit is killing me.”

“It’s okay, it’s just for you right now.”

“Look I ain’t got a lot of morals, but making a woman come is one of them. Most of them, really. Don’t feel right.” He yanked more on her hair, directing her mouth to his cock and she took it in greedily, making him moan out. “Fuck, I get you are so fucking wet right now, too. Your cunt is fucking throbbing for me to take it.”

She moaned against his cock as he directed her head to move up and down with his hand. A few times he pushed her down hard, gagging her for a moment. “Fuck, that noise is fucking hot. I love it when you take my cock in your mouth.” He tilted his head back as she sucked harder, wrapping her tongue around the head of it as he moved her head faster. “All of your holes are just begging me to fuck them.” 

She had her hands on his thighs for balance as he moved her harder, faster, gagging her almost every time. He was right, she was aroused beyond belief. When he talked to her, took control, all of that made her wet. She rubbed her thighs together for some kind of friction and he noticed it. He started thrusting his hips up into her mouth as he pushed her down. “I’m gonna come, baby.” 

He loosened the grip on her hair, giving her the choice for if she wanted it in her mouth or not, but when she felt his girth throb in her mouth she moaned, taking his whole length in as far as she could go as he spilled into her. He was gasping and groaning as she swallowed every drop, needing him to come inside her in some way. 

She let his now soft cock leave her mouth and smiled up at him. He smiled back. His thumb wiping some of his come off the corner of her mouth. She nuzzled her face into his palm. “I can’t say I’m sorry enough, Gage.”

“Keep giving me blow jobs like that and you will never have to apologize or anything ever again.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I, sweetheart.”

Nora rolled her eyes, and leaned on him to stand up. He grabbed her waist to hold her steady. “You alright?”

She nodded. “Yeah, just tired.” She went back to the room that Gage and her were now staying in to lay down on the large mattress. She stared up at the ceiling. She felt bad for Gage, and for herself. They were stuck here for now, and they couldn’t even really fuck. She couldn’t do much of anything. She read a lot, and cuddled with Gage, and gave him blow jobs on occasion. 

She wanted to do more, to do something special for him but she couldn’t think of what. Maybe a romantic evening, but they couldn’t have sex. Well, she couldn’t get off. Staring at the wall, an idea came to her. She wasn’t super thrilled about doing it, but Gage would be into it and it could be the start of making it up to him. 

Having a small burst of energy, she went to find Hancock. She knew the little pervert would have what she was looking for. 

The next day, she was laying in bed with Gage, laid out and reading but her mind was all over the place. She took a deep breath. Just do it. He won’t hurt her. She turned in his arms and kissed him, passionately and he groaned against her mouth. “Fuck, Nora. This is killing me. I fucking want you.”

She sat up and looked down at him. “Well, I have an idea.”

He raised his brow. “What?”

A mischievous smile on her face, she stood up next to the bed and stripped for her, coming back to the bed and laying her body against him. “Boss, this idea of yours is fucking bullshit.”

“I don’t think you will feel that way in a minute.” She reached over into the drawer on the nightstand and pulled out the bottle that Hancock had given her with a smile. She gave it to Gage for him to look at. He looked even more confused as he read the bottle. 

“Lube? What is this for?”

She couldn’t really say it, as much fucking they have done she felt shy about this. “I thought that since, you can’t really fuck me cause of the baby, maybe you could try other. You know. Options.”

He stared at her, still confused, and then it dawned on him. She watched his face go from confused to fucking gleeful. “Nora, are you telling me you want me to fuck your ass?”

She blushed brightly at his words and looked down, nodding. “I trust you to not purposefully hurt me.”

“Oh fuck yes,” Gage was already sitting up on the bed, stripping her clothes off and grabbing for Nora. She went to get on all fours and he pulled her down. “No. Not like that.”

“But, you want to fuck me, right?”

“Yeah, but I also want to feel you. Touch you. Have you against me. Come here, baby.” He was laying on his side and he pulled her against him, her back to him. He pressed kisses to her shoulder and her back. He opened the bottle of lube and put some on his finger, then pressed that against her ass, rubbing circles around the entrance. 

He pushed his finger harder into her, just going to the first knuckle and they both moaned out. Slowly, he moved it back and forth, then added another finger. Nora gasped out at the suddenly feeling of fullness in an area that was foreign to. Gage was being gentle, slow, so it wasn’t painful. A little uncomfortable, but that was okay. This was her redeeming herself for what she did, a little pain is a proper punishment. 

She felt his cock pushing against her ass as his fingers fucked her. Slowly, he pulled the fingers out. He put more lube around the entrance, and squirted the fluid onto his cock. She felt him give it a few good rubs, coating his cock. His other arm was stretched out under her head, cradling her to him. 

He pressed the head of his cock against her. “You want me to fuck your ass, Nora?”

She pushed her hips back against him. “Yes, please.”

He groaned, and slowly pushed the head in. WIth all the lube, there wasn’t much pain as he pushed in, just some discomfort. Slowly he pushed in some in, inch by inch, pulling out then pushing back in. She didn’t think he would go this slow. She figured he would want to fuck her hard immediately. She expected that. Deserved that. 

He didn’t, though. Hand on her hip, he slowly pushed in and out, his thrusts gentle and soft. Once he was fully seated in her, his breath against her neck was heavy. “Fuck, you are fucking tight. You okay?”

She nodded against his arm, nuzzling his elbow. “Keep going. You can fuck me harder than this, you know.”

She knew she felt him smirk and he pressed his lips to her neck. “I don’t want to hurt you, love.”

“You aren’t hurting me.” She pushed her ass against him and he groaned. She pressed her lips to the arm that cradled her head, and intertwined her fingers with his hand. 

He gripped her hip tighter and she felt his hot breath in her ear. “If I hurt you, tell me to stop, alright?” She nodded on his arm, pressing a playful bite to his bicep. He started thrusting harder, pushing in and out of her with vigor. He was groaning louder as he went faster. 

Nora focused on her breathing. It wasn’t as painful as she thought it would be, but it was uncomfortable. She worked on relaxing, keeping her body from tensing up as Gage’s hips pounded against her. 

“I’m going to come,” he groaned into her ear, then he buried himself in her and she felt him throbbing inside of her and a peculiar warmth filled her as he emptied himself in her. 

She breathed a sigh of relief when he slowly pulled out of her. She laid still and he got a rag to clean them off with. She laid still on the bed, letting him clean her off. He threw the rag off to the side and pulled her to his chest. “Come here, sweetheart. You okay?”

“Of course. You enjoy that?”

“Ain’t the same if you ain’t getting off,” he said as he kissed her forehead. 

She giggled. “Well I have to be punished somehow. Redemption or the other.”

Gage was rubbing her back and then suddenly he went stiff. “What do you mean, punishment?” She shrugged against him.”Nora, look at me.” He cupped her chin to force her to look up at him. She tried to smile, to be sweet, but her eyes must have given it away. He looked at her and huffed, rubbing his hand over his face. “Nora, this is fucked up.”

“What? You enjoyed it.”

“You letting me fuck you like that just so you can punish yourself? Tricking me into hurting you so that you can ease some kind of guilt you have over what you did? That’s fucked up. I’m supposed to be okay with that?”

“It isn’t a big deal. Come on, we have had rough sex before.”

“Yeah, where I push you against something and fuck you into the wall, and you are into it. This is just me hurting you so you can ease some guilt. Nora, I need you to see how fucked up this is.”

Nora sighed against his chest. He wasn’t touching her, his arms at his side. “Yeah, I can see how fucked up it can be. But have you thought that it did something for me, to ease some of my guilt?”

Gage grabbed her shoulder. “Nora. Look at me. I am not fucking Nate, do you understand me? I don’t need to punish you, hurt you, every time you fuck up. Yes, you fucked up. You put yourself and the baby in danger. But you have beaten yourself up enough. I don’t need to punish you for it. No one else is going to punish you.” A tear fell down her cheek and Gage brushed it away. 

He managed to look right into her, and see exactly what she was feeling even when she didn’t know. He was right. She had some kind of complex where she needed to be punished when she messed up. It is why she was so hard on herself for every little thing, why she needed to be punished to even the scale. 

She buried her face in his chest, rubbing her cheek against the rough patch of hair there. “I’m sorry, Gage. You are right. I didn’t even see it that way, and you managed to look right into the problem.” He ran his fingers through her hair. “I’m pretty fucked up, aren’t I?”

Gage chuckled. “Yeah babe, you are. That’s alright, so am I. Just in different ways. Look, I know you have been through some shit. Beyond your ex husband. That Macready fuck told me some shit when we were heading here and it put a lot in perspective. If all that shit didn’t affect you I would be worried. But we will work through it, get past it. I ain’t going anywhere.” He rolled his eyes at the ceiling. “Even if you use my dick to cause you pain to punish yourself.”

“Come on, you liked it.”

“I fucking loved it, and then afterwards, not so much. I would like to try that again when you able to have sex again, I want to feel you come when I’m buried in your ass.”

The hot coil of arousal started in her stomach and she groaned, kicking her legs as if she could kick it away. “Stop talking like that. Fuck, when I am able to get off again I am not getting out of bed for days.”

“When do you see Amari again?”

“She will be by tomorrow. I am eating a ton but not putting on enough weight, hopefully she will see some improvement. I don’t feel as faint all of the time, I can walk around a little bit. We will see what she says.”

They laid in silence for a bit. They eventually moved back into the big room that had Hancock’s office. He was sitting at his desk and his face lit up when he saw Nora. “Hey, Sunshine. How you feeling?”

“Better. Thanks, Hancock. I am running out of books to read,” she laughed. 

Hancock leaned down and hefted a large box up on his desk. “Well, just your luck that a caravan came through today that some scavvers had some books to unload.”

Nora’s jaw dropped on the floor as she approached the box. “Hancock, this costs too much. Let me reimburse you for it.”

“Nah, sunshine. If it makes you happy, I don’t mind. Brother, how are you doing?” He looked at Gage, who had planted himself on the sofa. 

“I’m alright, Hancock.” Nora was surprised how much Gage had settled in with the people in Goodneighbor and Nora’s friends. 

Nora settled on the couch with Gage, sorting through the box of books. She didn’t even care what they were about, she just wanted to settle in with more books. She stretched out on the couch, leaning against the headrest. Gage held her legs and put her feet on his lap, rubbing the heels absentmindedly. 

They were sitting in silence, Hancock pouring over caravan trade contracts, when there were footsteps up the staircase. Gage looked up and tapped Nora’s foot, pointing out the door. She turned and there were two members from each of the gangs in Nuka World. 

“Hey, come in on! Everything alright?” Nora didn’t move from where she was sitting, she was finally comfortable and Gage was still rubbing her foot. 

The two from the pack, both women, came around in front of Nora. “Just checking in. Everything is going fine, we got caravans from Bunker Hill coming in. Nisha is looking at locations for possible outposts in the Commonwealth, we can talk to you about that more when she gets a better idea of something. How are you feeling, Boss?”

“Much better, thank you.” She turned to look at the other raiders, who came around in front of Nora as well. “Is that going to be all?”

“Sorry Boss, it has been pretty uneventful. We are probably going to head back tomorrow.”

“That’s okay, I appreciate being kept up on things. Go to the hotel Rexford and get some rooms, put it on my tab, alright? It’s a long walk and some rest will do you good.”

All of the raiders perked up at that. “Thanks, Boss.”

“No problem. Have fun you guys, and don’t get into too much trouble here in town.” At that the raiders left. Nora looked over at Gage. “It is a bit unnerving how well things are going at Nuka World.”

Gage shrugged. “The gangs all got territories, and you didn’t play favorites with it. Caps are flowing in, everyone is making money. Jobs in the Commonwealth are coming in. No reason for things to go bad.”

“It’s just, ya know. Raiders. I expect them to be trying to kill me, kill each other, hurting shit. But it is all going so well.”

“What did I tell you when I first got you in this position? Raiders are just people who are trying to survive like everyone else. Many of them have families, they don't want to have to war with each other. Colter had them at each other’s throats, and you took care of that problem within a week. They have a lot of respect for you.”

“When should we head back to Nuka World?”

“When Amari says it is safe for you to travel again.”

“What if I can’t until I give birth?”

“Then we stay here until you give birth.”

Nora sighed. “I can’t be the overboss when I have not been in the park for months.”

Gage rubbed her feet some more. “Boss, it’s fine. If there was a problem, I would tell you. Everything is going well, they are doing fine without you there.”

“I guess I’m not really needed.” Gage pinched her foot. “Sorry.”

They spent the rest of the day lounging until it came time for bed, when Gage pulled her to his chest and held on like he couldn’t let her go. 

~~

Gage sat in the chair with his knee bouncing as that doctor came in the room. He was antsy to see how Nora and the baby were doing. She wasn’t gaining weight, not like she should. And she still had bouts of weakness. 

Amari came in all smiles and carried a small bag with her, approaching Nora who sat on the bed. “Hey, Nora. How are you feeling?”

“Better. Not totally better, but I am not feeling as bad as I was. I am eating a lot now.”

“Good, good. Your weight is still low, but gaining can be hard.”

Nora chuckled. “I wish i had this problem before. If I wasn’t pregnant I would be attractive.”

Gage rolled his eyes. He didn’t know what kind of world she lived in where someone that thin is considered attractive, but fuck. He didn’t want her thin like this, he wanted her how she was before. 

Gage’s thoughts were interrupted when Amari pushed Nora back on the bed, and was feeling around her belly, palm pressing in. “The baby is still moving, that is a positive.You are far enough along that we should be able to hear a heartbeat. I got this from a doctor who works in a vault,” she pulled out some contraption that had a small box and a cord, with a metal piece tired to one end. 

Amari placed the piece of Nora’s belly, moving it back and forth and looking for a spot. Suddenly a fast heartbeat filled the room. Gage looked up at Nora, then the doctor. “Is that it?”

She smiled. “That’s the heartbeat. It's about 130 beats per minute and that is completely healthy.” She checked for swelling in Nora’s limbs, discussed any other symptoms. 

After some time she put her things away. “Well, Nora. You are improving. Greatly improving. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but you are. I think you are out of the danger zone and we can be a little more lenient with some things. You can move around more, no need for strict bedrest but you still need to put your feet up as much as possible. As for sex, I think that as long as you are careful, you can be able to do that again.” Amari stumbled over the words, and both her and Nora blushed. 

For a woman who just before was begging him to fuck her ass, she could be real bashful about sex sometimes. 

Amari said her goodbyes, and Nora stayed laid back on the bed. Gage crawled over her, smiling down at her as he kissed her jaw. “That was pretty weird.”

“Hmm? Oh yeah, talking to doctors about sex stuff can be weird.”

“No, I meant the heartbeat. Like I have felt it move and shit but like, that was real, you know?”

Nora smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I’m tired, Gage. Lay down with me.”

“Alright, sweetheart.” He kicked off his boots, and pulled her to his chest. He felt her heartbeat through her shirt, and their child tumbling in her belly. For the first time in his life, he felt completely and utterly at home, and hoped that it stayed that way.


End file.
